A portrait of John Grierson, the first Canadian Government Film Commissioner and founder of the National Film Board in 1939. Interweaving archival footage, interviews with people who knew him and footage of Grierson himself, this film is a sensitive and informative portrait of a dynamic man of vision. Grierson believed that the filmmaker had a social responsibility, and that film could help a society realize democratic ideals. His absolute faith in the value of capturing the drama of everyday life was to influence generations of filmmakers all over the world. In fact, he coined the term 'documentary film'.
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Cast
38 people
Michael Kane
Narrator (voice)
Known for
Three Days of the Condor
Lonely are the Brave
John Grierson
Self (archive footage)
Also in
Night Mail
I Remember, I Remember
Donald Brittain
David Bairstow
Roger Blais
Jacques Fogel
Norman McLaren
Self (archive footage)
Also in
Mosaic
Pinscreen
John Kramer
Monique Miller
Narrator (French version)
Sydney Newman
Self
Eugene Boyko
John Amess
Self (schoolteacher)
Roger Blais Director · Donald Brittain Writer Jacques Fogel Cinematographer
First release September 13, 1973 · Produced in Canada
Production
ONF | NFB
Production
Canada
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
Canada · September 13, 1973
Theatrical
No release date listed for United States.
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Some details come from TheTVDB.