For lifting and grasping a starting portion of a film located in a coil, the method includes driving a coil by a friction wheel abutting against an outer surface of the coil with an end edge of a starting portion of the coil located arbitrarily on the outer surface, placing a separating wedge under a prestress on the outer surface of the coil and lifting the starting portion of the film from the coil by an edge of the separating wedge, and first turning the coil against a latter uncoiling direction, and after a recognition of a position of the end edge of the starting portion of the film turning the coil in the uncoiling direction.