Biography
John Grierson (1898–1972) was a pioneering Scottish filmmaker and producer who shaped the documentary film movement, earning recognition as the father of British and Canadian documentary cinema. He famously coined the term "documentary" in 1926 and championed the idea that film should serve as a tool for social education and reform. As the driving force behind the British documentary movement, he founded the GPO Film Unit, which produced groundbreaking works like Night Mail (1936), and later played a key role in establishing the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) in 1939, turning it into one of the world's most influential documentary institutions. Grierson’s vision and advocacy for documentary as a vehicle for public service and civic engagement left a lasting legacy on global nonfiction filmmaking.
Filmography
all 51
Movies 51
Producer 33
Director 6
self 5
Screenplay 1
Narrator 1
Voice 1

A Return to Memory (2024)

I , I (1968)

Health of a City (1965)

Heart of Scotland (1962)

Seawards the Great Ships (1960)

John Grierson (1959)

Rivers at Work (1958)

Devil on Horseback (1954)

Man of Africa (1953)

Miss Robin Hood (1952)

The Brave Don't Cry (1952)

You're Only Young Twice (1951)

Four Men in Prison (1950)

The Face of Scotland (1938)

North Sea (1938)

The Smoke Menace (1937)

Trade Tattoo (1937)

A Job in a Million (1937)

We Live in Two Worlds (1937)

Children at School (1937)

Daily Round (1937)

Night Mail (1936)

On the Fishing Banks of Skye (1935)

Coal Face (1935)

A Colour Box (1935)

The Song of Ceylon (1934)

Granton Trawler (1934)

Weather Forecast (1934)

6.30 Collection (1934)

The Private Life of the Gannets (1934)

Post-Haste (1934)

Cable Ship (1933)

Spring on the Farm (1933)

The Coming of the Dial (1933)

O'er Hill and Dale (1932)

Upstream (1932)

The New Generation (1932)

Industrial Britain (1931)

Shadow on the Mountains (1931)

Tom Mixup (1930)

Our Dumb Friend (1930)

Kuster Beaton (1930)

Conquest (1930)

Drifters (1929)
Gallery



Information
Known For
Production
Gender
Male
Birthday
1898-04-26
Deathday
1972-02-19 (73 years old)
Birth Place
Deanston, United Kingdom
Siblings
Ruby Grierson, Marion Grierson
Citizenships
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom
Also Known As
约翰·格里尔逊
Awards
Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Commander of the Order of the British Empire
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John Grierson
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