Great Names of the British Documentary Film
Some of the most celebrated British documentary film-makers include:
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John Grierson (1898-1972). The pioneering Scottish documentary film-maker played the key role in the development of modern British and Canadian documentary film despite the fact that he filmed only one – Drifters. He profoundly influenced documentary film-makers of both his own time and the future generation. It was also Grierson who was the first to use the term “documentary”. The Grierson Trust annually presents Grierson Awards to best documentary films in his honour, while the London Film Festival presents the Grierson Award to the most original and creative documentary that is screened during the festival.
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Edgar Anstey (1907-1987). He was one of many documentary film-makers who were recruited for the OBE by Grierson. Under his leadership, the British Transport Films unit produced a number of outstanding documentaries including the Academy Award winning Snowdrift at Bleath Gill (1955, directed by Kenneth Fairbairn) and Wild Wings (1966, directed by Patrick Carey and John Taylor) that is considered one of the best documentaries in history of the British documentary film.
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Sir Arthur Hallam Rice Elton, 10th Baronet (1906-1973). According to the BFI, Sir Arthur Hallam Rice Elton was the greatest name in the British documentary film after Grierson in his time. After joining the Grierson-led EMB unit, he quickly established himself as the leading figure of the Documentary Movement but he later focused on production rather than direction.
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Lindsay Anderson (1923-1994). Indian-born documentary, film and theatre director and film critic was the leading figure of the Free Cinema movement and the British New Wave. His short documentary Thursday’s Children (1954) that was co-created with Guy Brenton won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short category.
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Stuart Legg (1910-1988). His work was closely connected with Grierson. He did not only work with Grierson at the EMB but he also followed him to Canada in 1939. His greatest masterpieces are Churchill’s Island (1941) that was awarded the first Oscar for Documentary Short and Warclouds in the Pacific that was nominated for Academy Award but did not win.
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Paul Rotha (1907-1984). Another great name of the British documentary film also collaborated with Grierson. He filmed documentaries The World is Rich (1947) and Cradle of Genius (1961) both of which received nomination for Academy Award.
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James Marsh (1963- ). He is primarily a film director who is best known for his Wisconsin Death Trip but he also directed the Oscar Awarded documentary Man of Wire (2008) that is considered one of the best documentaries of all times.