Grierson (film)

Grierson
Grierson
Directed by	Roger Blais
Written by	Donald Brittain
Produced by	Roger Blais; David Bairstow
Narrated by	Michael Kane (English); Monique Miller (French); Donald Brittain
Cinematography	Eugene Boyko; Jacques Fogel; Lewis McLeod; Michel Thomas-d'Hoste; Magí Torruella; Raymond Dumas (animation camera)
Edited by	Annick de Bellefeuille; Les Halman; John Kramer; André Galbrand (sound); Bernard Bordeleau (sound)
Production; company	National Film Board of Canada
Release date	1973;
Running time	58 minutes
Country	Canada
Languages	English ; French
Budget	$242,725

Grierson is a 1973 documentary directed by Roger Blais for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).^[2] It won, among other awards, the 1974 BAFTA Award for Best Documentary.^[3]

John Grierson, who is known as the father of documentary film and coined the term 'documentary', became the first Canadian Government Film Commissioner, and founded the NFB, in 1939. He believed that filmmakers have a social responsibility, and that film should help society realize democratic ideals. His faith in the value of capturing everyday life influenced generations of filmmakers all over the world.

Grierson, which cost $242,725 (equivalent to $1,615,767 in 2023) to make,^[1] includes archival footage and interviews with Grierson and people who knew him. It was released in English and French, with commentary by Donald Brittain; the English version was narrated by Michael Kane, the French version by Monique Miller.

Awards

27th British Academy Film Awards, London: BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, 1974
25th Canadian Film Awards, Montreal: Best Documentary (tied), 1973^[4]
Festival of World Television, Los Angeles: Best Profile Documentary, 1973
Golden Gate International Film Festival, San Francisco: First Prize, Personality, 1973
Golden Gate International Film Festival, San Francisco: Bronze Reel Award for Third Best Film, 1973
Melbourne Film Festival, Melbourne: Diploma of Merit, 1974^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b Evans 1991, p. 196.
^ "Grierson". onf-nfb.gc.ca. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
^ "Documentary inventor is documented". The Globe and Mail, May 30, 1973.
^ Maria Topalovich, And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards. Stoddart Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0-7737-3238-1.
^ "Grierson". onf-nfb.gc.ca. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 1 March 2023.