John grierson and the documentary film movement

John grierson, film producer b at deanston, scot 25 apr 1898. Is there anything more to be said about grierson and the british. Ian aitken in underlining the link between film and reform, aitken clarifies the meaning and significance of the ideas of john grierson, maker of such documentaries as drifters, north sea and housing. Public relations, propaganda and documentary film 190039 7. Griersons idea that, by selling the documentary to the government as an effective propaganda medium, he could get the funding for making art. The publication was developed as the wartime successor to world film news, which ceased publication in 1938, and sought to promote a documentary approach to everyday living. Documentary news letter was a magazine about documentary film founded by filmmaker john grierson. He believed that the movement the documentary film movement that he had begun had the power to change the country with films about real life durlacher, 2011. Documentary films in a short film john grierson at the nft 1959 he recalls the british documentary film movement. John grierson and the documentary film movement 1990. The british documentary movement, led by the scot, john grierson 18981972, offered a distinctive riposte to hollywood by focusing on fact and public information. Best known for his documentaries such as drifters, north sea, and housing problems, john grierson was the most important figure in the british documentary film movement and one of the most influential of british film theorists.

John grierson documentary film maker made in perth. Grierson was born in deanston, near doune, scotland. Grierson and the documentary movement scotland on screen. From this came our insistence on the drama of the doorstep cited by hardy 1415. Hitchcock on grierson 1965, in which alfred hitchcock talks about his work and how it inspired him. John grierson and the documentary film movement cinema and society. Ian aitken best known for his documentaries such as drifters, north sea, and housing problems, john grierson was the most important figure in the british documentary film movement and one of. John grierson, the empire marketing board film unit, and the documentary film movement 192733 5. John grierson cbe was a pioneering scottish documentary maker, often considered the father of british and canadian documentary film.

The story of john grierson, the british documentary movement, and canadas national film board. The british documentary film movement refers to the film units pioneered by john grierson. John grierson founder of the british documentary film movement its leader for 40 years one of the first 1 to see the potential of motion pictures to shape peoples attitudes. He was one of the first to see the potential of motion pictures to shape peoples attitudes toward life and to urge the use of films for educational purposes. He is credited with initiating the 1930s british documentary film movement. John grierson and thedocumentary movement great britain. The documentary film movement is the group of british filmmakers, led by john grierson, who were influential in british film culture in the 1930s and 1940s. With michael kane, monique miller, john amess, edgar anstey.

With the benefit of state sponsorship, grierson and the filmmakers that gathered around him experimented with avantgarde film techniques to develop a socially conscious cinema. Filmmaker john grierson was the founder of the british documentaryfilm movement and its leader for almost 40 years. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading film and reform. He was the first to use the word documentary in relation to film, applying it to robert flahertys moana. John grierson was born on april 26, 1898 in kilmadock, stirlingshire, scotland. To see him as a little old man with thick glasses introducing some of his films for his 1968 retrospective film i remember, i remember clip 1 premiered at the edinburgh film festival in 1968, it would be easy to think of him as just another establishment filmmaker trying to talk up his own. The story of the film movement founded by john grierson. After studying english and moral philosophy at glasgow university, he. He studied philosophy at glasgow university, but was drawn into filmmaking through postgraduate study in the us on the influence of mass media on public opinion. John grierson born at deanston borders of stirling and perth on 26 april 1898. It was this kind of supervisory capacity that characterised grierson s role and influence on factual film, with him also acting as production advisor to films of scotland, and, throughout the war, serving. Is there anything more to be said about grierson and the british documentary movement. Best known for his documentaries such as drifters, north sea, and housing problems, john grierson was the most important figure in the british documentary film movement and one of the most influential of british film theorists this major assessment of grierson and the documentary film movement examines the intellectual and aesthetic influences on his.

John grierson students britannica kids homework help. John grierson founder of the british documentary film movement its leader for 40 years one of the first 1 to see the potential of motion pictures to shape peoples attitudes 2 to urge the use of films for educational purposes educated at the university of glasgow and university of chicago. Just as orson welles pushed cinematic boundaries in the way hollywood stories were told, so john grierson brought groundbreaking innovations to nonfiction storytelling deployed and enjoyed by documentary filmmakers 90 years later. Film and reform john grierson and the documentary film. The root of both the rise and the fall was the same. John grierson april 26, 1898 february 19, 1972 is often considered the father of british and canadian documentary film. An important film about conditions in schools made by basil wright, a major figure in britains 1930s documentary movement. John grierson and the documentary film movement by ian aitken routledge. John grierson, born april 26, 1898, kilmadock, stirlingshire, scot.

Along with the success of the drifters, grierson created a fresh refinement in filmmaking, known as the british documentary movement. In june 1937 grierson resigned from the gpo and formed film centre, an advisory and coordinating body for the documentary film movement. John grierson and the documentary film movement researchgate. Whos who in the documentary film movement screenonline. His ancestors were lighthouse keepers and his father was a school teacher. John grierson and the documentary film movement by ian aitken. In the 1930s and 40s, a unique collection of creative talents was assembled under the tutelage of scottishborn producer john grierson. The film was successful both critically and commercially and helped kick off griersons documentary film movement. He was also the subject of a 1973 nfb documentary, grierson, produced and. His 1932 essay first principles of documentary argued that cinemas capacity for observing life could be a. John grierson cbe 18981972 was born in perthshire, scotland, son of a local school headmaster. People who worked with grierson have said that he had. There are several books on griersons career at the national film board of canada, for example, gary evans, john grierson and the national film board 1984, and many others on griersons british career, for example, ian aitken, film and reform. John grierson and the documentary film movement routledge library editions.

Grierson, the british documentary movement, and colonial. Download citation on jan 1, 20, ian aitken and others published john grierson and the documentary film movement find, read and cite all the research. It published its first edition in january 1940, with an editorial board that consisted of grierson. The film, he wrote, being a visual account of events in the daily life of a polynesian youth and his family, has documentary value.

This film initiated the documentary movement in britain. Best known for his documentaries such as drifters, north sea, and housing problems, john grierson was the most important figure in the british documentary film movement and one of the most influential of british film theorists this major assessment of grierson and the documentary film movement examines the intellectual and aesthetic influences on his work, focusing on the. All accounts of the origins and early history of the british documentary film movement privilege the role of john grierson 18981972 who is widely referred to. By the time grierson came back to britain in 1926, he was a man with a mission. In britain by the early 1930s, the documentary movement in filmfounded by john grierson aitken, 1990had started to make realist public information films centered on working class urban. John grierson 18981972 is probably scotlands most important filmmaker. He served as an ordinary seaman in wwi and completed a brilliant academic career after the war, graduating with distinction in moral philosophy. John grierson and the influence of american scientific naturalism 19247 3. The result is essential reading, a critical biography of a towering figure in 20th century documentary. John grierson, humphrey jennings, harry watt, basil wright. Ellis the title and subtitle of elizabeth sussexs the rise and fall of british documentary.

In october 1957, john grierson, the founder of the british documentary film movement, made the transition to a new medium. While studying in the united states under a rockefeller fellowship from 1923 to 1927, grierson developed his interest in mass communication, in which he perceived the potential to educate the public and influence opinion. The most important figure in the birth of the british documentary film was a scot, john grierson, the son of a schoolteacher. The story of the film movement founded by john grierson encapsulate their sub ject. More than any one other person, john grierson was responsible for the documentary film as it has developed in the englishspeaking countries. This short but potent film is an official classic of the british documentary movement, and an oratorio of coal mining. Grierson also notes that the early documentary filmmakers were concerned about the way the world was going and wanted to use all the tools at hand to push the public towards greater civic participation. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. A profile of john grierson, godfather of doccinema. Broadly young, middleclass and leftleaning, they shared an interest in documentary film a term coined by grierson.