John Grierson and Documentary Films

Paper Summary:

"John Grierson (1898-1972) made very few films but was one of the most influential figures in the history of documentary filmmaking. As the leader of governmental film units in Britain and the founder of the National Film Board of Canada Grierson's belief in the potential social impact of documentary films set the course for documentary themes in English-language films.

From the Paper:

"John Grierson (1898-1972) made very few films but was one of the most influential figures in the history of documentary filmmaking. As the leader of governmental film units in Britain and the founder of the National Film Board of Canada Grierson's belief in the potential social impact of documentary films set the course for documentary themes in English-language films. His other major innovations were the decision to rely on institutional backing, governmental or private sector, rather than depend on box-office returns and to employ "nontheatrical distribution and exhibition" (Ellis 398). Although Grierson himself abandoned directing early on, his Drifters (1929), the remarkable beginning of the documentary movement in England, remains a vital and interesting piece of work even today and, while showing how well Grierson fulfilled his mission, raises..."

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