 Several of Trenchard-Smith's films have garnered cult followings and have been subject to critical re-evaluation, and he has also been cited as one of Quentin Tarantino's favourite directors.Trenchard-Smith was born in England, the son of a senior officer of the Royal Air Force (RAF), and lived for a time in Libya, where his father was stationed.His family moved to RAF Odiham, Hampshire and he made his first film at the age of 15 on 8mm, a 2-minute short called "The Duel".