The story
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'.
Cast & crew
Michael KaneNarrator (voice)
John GriersonSelf (archive footage)
Norman McLarenSelf (archive footage)
Sydney NewmanSelf
Lorne GreeneSelf
Woodrow WilsonSelf (archive footage)
Roberto Rossellini
Joseph McCarthySelf (archive footage)
Joris IvensSelf
Indira GandhiSelfExplore the crew
- Director
- Roger Blais
- Editor
- Les Halman
- Editor
- John Kramer
- Editor
- Annick de Bellefeuille
- Producer
- Roger Blais
- Director of Photography
- Magí Torruella
- Director of Photography
- Eugene Boyko
- Director of Photography
- Jacques Fogel
- Director of Photography
- Michel Thomas-d'Hoste
- Director of Photography
- Lewis McLeod
- Writer
- Donald Brittain