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126-655: Produced by the National Film Board of Canada , its soundtrack features traditional African rhythms , gospel music by Ranee Lee and a composition by jazz pianist Oliver Jones . Awards for the film included a Golden Bear for best short film at the Berlin International Film Festival , and the Jutra Award for Best Animated Short Film . It was also included in the Animation Show of Shows . It's

252-619: A $ 1 million cut, as part of a government attempt to save $ 1 billion. The Public Service Staff Relations Board ruled in 1977 that 99% of the freelance workers at the NFB were employees and the board of governors later recommended the firing of sixty-five people. Federal budget cuts caused Roberts to plan for the NFB's budget to decrease by 10% between 1979 and 1981. Lamy left the NFB and the board of Governors selected James de Beaujeu Domville , who served as deputy film commissioner for seven years, after four months. Domville selected François N. Macerola ,

378-456: A $ 1.3 million budget for a women's department, but it was rejected by the Treasury. Verrall gave Shannon permission to organize Studio D , the first publicly funded feminist film-production unit in the world, in 1974. However, there would be no French version of Studio D until the formation of Studio B in 1986. Studio D produced 125 films before its closure in 1996. In 1970, Pelletier called for

504-428: A central role in promoting this process. (It has been suggested that some of Grierson's notions regarding the social and political uses of film were influenced by reading Lenin's writing about film as education and propaganda.) Grierson's emerging view of film was as a form of social and political communication—a mechanism for social reform, education, and perhaps spiritual uplift. His view of Hollywood movie-making

630-449: A cost of $ 5.25 million and served as the NFB's headquarters until 2019. In September 1954, Quebec censors demanded that the NFB pay a censorship fee of $ 20,500 per year and Trueman wanted to accept it in order to avoid controversy. However, a compromise was reached where the Quebec censors were given one print of each film and if they censored it then all versions would be also censored while

756-714: A decade of its creation. Grierson lacked strong support in the Canadian government and some of his films received opposition from members of the government. Inside Fighting Russia was criticized for its support of the Russian Revolution and Balkan Powderkeg for criticizing the United Kingdom's policy in the Balkans. Grierson and the NFB were attacked during the onset of the Cold War . The Federal Bureau of Investigation created

882-723: A file on Grierson in 1942, due to the World in Action newsreel being considered too left-wing. Leo Dolan, an ally of Hepburn and the head of the Canadian Government Travel Bureau, accused Grierson of being Jewish and a Co-operative Commonwealth Federation supporter. The Gouzenko Affair implicated Freda Linton, one of Grierson's secretaries, and the organization was criticized by the Progressive Conservative Party for subversive tendencies, financial waste, and being

1008-533: A film. Ham Wright directed the film showing the German sailors that had been captured; playing football, enjoying meals and looking healthy. Only one copy of the film was made, it was sent to the Swiss Red Cross who deliberately let it fall into German hands. Grierson was to learn at a later date that Hitler had indeed watched the film and ordered that the Canadian prisoners of war released from their manacles. After

1134-793: A further eight years and was in the Top Ten programmes for the week for the UK in 1960. In 1961, Grierson was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours. In 1962, he was a member of the jury for the Vancouver Film Festival , during his visit to Canada he also received the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Medal for his contribution to the visual arts. In 1963, he

1260-565: A further six months to oversee the changes. During WWII, Grierson was a consultant to prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King as a minister of the Wartime Information Board . He remained on the National Film Board and managed to complete his duties to Wartime Information Board as well through his deputies that aided him in the task. Grierson was asked to keep his dual role until January 1944, however, he resigned in 1943 as

1386-490: A glass sheet/sheets, that's often placed on a projector for lighting purposes, all under the lens of a camera recording. Oil paint is often used because it dries slowly which allows an artist to work on a project for longer periods of time. The effect of this technique is the illusion of images seamlessly merging from one scene into the next. National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada ( NFB ; French : Office national du film du Canada, ONF )

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1512-400: A government monopoly, with the NFB's crown corporation request being referred to as an "expansionist, monopolistic psychology", and that they were unable to compete with the NFB as it paid no taxes and was exempt from tariffs. The commission's report supported the NFB and its requests for Crown corporation status and a headquarters were accepted. In 1950, Irwin wrote to Robert Winters about

1638-457: A health check-up in January 1972; he was diagnosed with lung and liver cancer and was given months to live. During his time in hospital he spent time dictating letters to his wife, Margaret, and received visitors; however, he fell unconscious on 18 February and died on the 19th. In his wishes for his funeral he had detailed his desire to be cremated. Also according to his wishes, his urn was placed in

1764-546: A monkey on the back of English production". Encyclopædia Britannica reportedly offered to buy the NFB for $ 100 million (equivalent to $ 392,750,000 in 2023) in 1979. During Derek Lamb 's leadership of the English language animation studio produced multiple critical acclaimed works, including the Academy Award-winning Every Child . Lamb resigned in 1982, and was replaced by Doug McDonald, whose tenure

1890-602: A monopoly. Grierson was also accused of being involved, but was proven not to be. During McLean's tenure film production was divided into four units in 1948. Unit A dealt with agriculture, non-English, and interpretative films, Unit B dealt with sponsored, scientific, cultural, and animated films, Unit C dealt with theatrical, newsreels, tourist, and travel films, and Unit D dealt with international affairs and special projects. This system continued until its abolition on 28 February 1964 when it had seven units, five English-language and two French-language. In 1947, Grant McLean ,

2016-416: A position and instead sent the information to Harris. St. Laurent was angered by this and asked Winters if Trueman was attempting to sabotage the relocation and Trueman told Winters that he was just giving Harris information about the situation. The Conservatives criticized the rising cost of the headquarters' construction and attempted to block it, but failed. The building was constructed from 1953 to 1956, at

2142-563: A report on restructuring the NFB and Winters told Irwin to rewrite the 1939 Film Act as it was outdated by then. The National Film Act was passed in June, and took effect on 14 October. A Canadian tour by Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip was filmed using 35 mm Eastman colour-film stock, which was not available to the public yet. The film was initially meant to be two reels, worth twenty minutes, but grew to five reels as they could not determine what to cut. Irwin met with Harvey Harnick,

2268-704: A report to the 19th Canadian Ministry for the creation of a loan fund to aid the development of the Canadian film industry. The proposal was approved in October 1965, and legislation, the Canadian Film Development Corporation Act of 1966-67, for its creation was introduced in June 1966, before being approved on 3 March 1967, establishing the Canadian Film Development Corporation . Denys Arcand , Gilles Carle , Jacques Godbout , Gilles Groulx , and Clément Perron criticized

2394-737: A year of convalescing at his home, Tog Hill in Calstone . Grierson spent much of his time corresponding with the directors at Group 3, as well as commenting on scripts and story ideas. He had recovered enough to attend the Cannes Film Festival in April 1954, taking the production of Man of Africa . At the Edinburgh Film Festival in the same year, a dinner was held in Grierson's honour to celebrate twenty-five years of documentary. Grierson joined

2520-738: Is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada , the NFB produces and distributes documentary films , animation , web documentaries , and alternative dramas. In total, the NFB has produced over 13,000 productions since its inception, which have won over 5,000 awards. The NFB reports to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Canadian Heritage . It has bilingual production programs and branches in English and French, including multicultural-related documentaries. The Exhibits and Publicity Bureau

2646-508: Is an international business, dependent when it comes to distribution on an alliance or understanding with American film interests". He travelled to Hollywood in 1944, and the NFB sent scripts to American companies for consideration. Norman McLaren founded the NFB's animation unit in 1942, and had George Dunning , René Jodoin , Wolf Koenig , Jean-Paul Ladouceur , Evelyn Lambart , Colin Low , Grant Munro , and Robert Verrall working there within

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2772-501: The New York Sun (8 February 1926), Grierson wrote that it had 'documentary' value. In his essay "First Principles of Documentary" (1932), Grierson argued that the principles of documentary were that cinema's potential for observing life could be exploited in a new art form; that the "original" actor and "original" scene are better guides than their fiction counterparts to interpreting the modern world; and that materials "thus taken from

2898-740: The Empire Marketing Board (EMB), a governmental agency which had been established in 1926 to promote British world trade and British unity throughout the empire . One of the major functions of the EMB was publicity, which the Board accomplished through exhibits, posters, and publications and films. It was within the context of this State-funded organisation that the "documentary" as we know it today got its start. In late 1929 Grierson and his cameraman, Basil Emmott completed his first film, Drifters , which he wrote, produced and directed. The film, which follows

3024-523: The Minister of Communications , then led by David MacDonald . MacDonald supported giving 80% of the sponsored work to private companies and that the NFB only make films that the private companies could not. Domville offered a three-year phase out of NFB doing sponsored work during a meeting with representatives of the Canadian Film and Television Association and Association des Producteurrs de Films du Quebec in 1979. He stated that "sponsored film had become

3150-541: The Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve . In his recruitment letter he had added a year to his age so that he could attend. On 7 January 1916, Grierson was sent to the wireless telegraphy station at Aultbea , Cromarty , as an ordinary telegraphist but was promoted to telegraphist on 2 June 1916. On 23 January 1917, he became a telegraphist on the minesweeper H.M.S Surf and served there until 13 October 1917. The next day he joined H.M.S Rightwhale , where he

3276-726: The Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther . Grierson was a member of the jury for the Canadian Film Awards in 1970. He spent a few months in 1971, travelling around India instilling the importance of having small production units throughout the country. He returned to the UK in December 1971 and was meant to travel back to India; however, his trip was delayed by the Indo-Pakistani War . Grierson went into hospital for

3402-647: The University of Glasgow . The results for the bursary examination were not posted until October 1915; Grierson applied to work at the munitions at Alexandria ; the munitions building had been the original home of the Argyll Motor Company which had earlier in the twentieth century built the first complete motor car in Scotland. Grierson was the second name on the bursary list and received the John Clark bursary, which

3528-487: The University of New Brunswick and a member of the board of governors of the NFB and CBC, was selected by Winters to replace Irwin. A reshuffling of the cabinet had Walter Edward Harris become the new minister responsible for the NFB. Since the foundation of the NFB its offices were divided across multiple locations in Ottawa and plans created during World War II to construct a single headquarters were not acted upon. Montreal

3654-449: The University of Wisconsin–Madison . His research focus was the psychology of propaganda —the impact of the press, film, and other mass media on forming public opinion. Grierson was particularly interested in the popular appeal and influence of the "yellow" (tabloid) press , and the influence and role of these journals on the education of new American citizens from abroad. In his review of Robert Flaherty 's film Moana (1926) in

3780-520: The 1980s. The first usage of videotape by the NFB occurred in 1967, when Claude Jutra and Robert Forget used it for research with children. Newman, a former NFB director who spent the previous twelve years working on television shows in the United Kingdom, was selected to replaced McPherson as commissioner in 1970, and he selected André Lamy as his assistant commissioner. Faulkner opposed Newman and worked to have Newman not reappointed in July 1975, and he

3906-461: The Arts, Letters and Sciences , with Massey as its chair, was formed in 1949. The NFB submitted a brief asking to have a headquarters constructed, budget increases, and to become a Crown corporation . Robert Winters , whose ministry oversaw the NFB, stated that its brief did not represent government policy. The Association of Motion Picture Producers and Laboratories of Canada submitted a brief criticizing

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4032-619: The Buchan Prize in the Ordinary Class of English Language in the academic year of 1919–20, he also received the prize and first-class certificate in the academic year of 1920–21 in the Ordinary Class of Moral Philosophy and graduated with a Master of Arts in English and moral philosophy in 1923. In 1923, Grierson received a Rockefeller Research Fellowship to study in the United States at the University of Chicago , and later at Columbia and

4158-471: The CBC. Roberge created the positions of Assistant Government Film Commissioner, held by Grant McLean and Roland Ladouceur, Director of Production for English, held by Julian Biggs , and French, held by Marcel Martin, productions. Roberge resigned as commissioner on 1 April 1966, and declined to be involved with the selection of his successor. Grant was appointed as the acting commissioner by Judy LaMarsh . LaMarsh

4284-514: The Firth of Forth. The Private Life of Gannets went on to pick up an Academy Award in 1937. Grierson eventually grew restless with having to work within the bureaucratic and budgetary confines of government sponsorship. Grierson resigned from the G.P.O. on 30 June 1937, which gave him more time to pursue his passions and the freedom to speak his mind on issues around the world. In response, he sought out private industry sponsorship for film production. He

4410-691: The Global Film Policy with the Capital Cost Allowance in which investors could get a 100% tax deduction. Faulkner proposed to shift the responsibility of sponsored films to the Department of Supply and Services and only give the NFB 30% of the work. However, he was replaced by John Roberts during a shuffling of the cabinet in September 1976. Roberts believed that the CCA resolved the funding problems for

4536-578: The Massey report, was selected instead as the first French-Canadian commissioner. Le Devoir supported his selection and the French media ended its criticism of the NFB. Ellen Fairclough , who became the minister responsible for the NFB in May 1958, was not interested with the organization and never saw a film created by the NFB. She declined to interfere in NFB matters despite criticism from Pickersgill, who believed that

4662-637: The NFB and its productions in articles written for the Cité Libre . Juneau stated that the articles were a watershed moment in the NFB's history. The men were reprimanded by Roberge. Many employees left the NFB following the reprimands including Michel Brault , Carle, Bernard Gosselin , Groulx, and Arthur Lamothe . Juneau left the NFB in March 1966, and worked at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission before becoming president of

4788-446: The NFB focused on the production of propaganda films, many of which Grierson directed. For example, captured footage of German war activity was incorporated in documentaries that were distributed to the then-neutral United States. Grierson grieved the death of his sister Ruby in 1940; she was on the SS City of Benares while it was evacuating one hundred children to Canada. The Benares

4914-605: The NFB were made to air on television by 1955. In 1956, the CBC's exclusion grew to them making Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans with the expressed prohibition of NFB involvement and rejecting a show by the NFB based on Jake and the Kid . Irwin resigned as commissioner in May 1953, and later stated that he wanted to be more involved in film production, but his time was being taken up by administrative purposes. Albert Trueman , president of

5040-459: The NFB would pay an annual fee between $ 2,500-3,000. Pierre Juneau , who was sent to the United Kingdom by Irwin, was brought by Trueman to the NFB as an adviser and secretary in 1953. The creation of two assistant commissioners, one English and one French, with Juneau as the French assistant commissioner was proposed in November 1954, but was rejected by Jack Pickersgill , who replaced Harris, over

5166-407: The NFB's Columbia theatrical distributor, and J.J. Fitzgibbons, the president of Famous Players , and Fitzgibbons told Irwin that he would screen all five reels if the film was completed for a Christmas release. Royal Journey opened in seventeen first-run theatres and over course of the next two years it was screened in 1,249 Canadian theatres where it was watched by a record two million people and

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5292-459: The NFB's demand that no commercials be played during their films and the NFB charging $ 10,000–$ 15,000 for 30 minute films while a commercial network had received it for $ 800. The CBC and NFB also co-produced The Ernie Game and Waiting for Caroline which went overbudget by $ 50,000 and $ 200,000 respectively. In 1967, the Treasury Board limited the NFB's expenditures to $ 10 million and over

5418-540: The NFB's strongest critics, died in a plane crash although Floyd Chalmers , the president of Maclean-Hunter , criticized Irwin for leaving Maclean's . Film production was centralized under Irwin by having one person oversee the four film units. He selected Donald Mulholland over James Beveridge and Mulholland was criticized for ignoring French-language film production. Unit E, dealing with sponsored work, and Unit F, dealing with French-language films, were created in 1951. The Royal Commission on National Development in

5544-474: The NFB. Pelletier approved the NFB charging $ 3–12 per day for its films, but they were later removed as being in violation of anti-inflation guidelines. Fees would be instituted in 1988. The Treasury had granted $ 1 million, $ 250,000 less than what was requested, in August to cover NFB's salary increases, but McPherson was not informed as ministers hoped he would institute larger budget cuts. An additional $ 500,000

5670-628: The National Film Board for Churchill's Island . Grierson also presented the award for the best documentary, the first time that this award was given by the Academy. After the Dieppe Raid , there were reports that Canadians that had been taken as prisoners of war had been manacled under Hitler's orders. Grierson proposed that the Film Board show how the German prisoners of war were being treated in Canada through

5796-567: The Post Office facilitated modern communication and brought the nation together, a task aimed as much at GPO workers as the general public. During Grierson's administration, the GPO Film Unit produced a series of groundbreaking films, including Night Mail (dir. Basil Wright and Harry Watt , 1936) and Coal Face (dir. Alberto Cavalcanti , 1935). In 1934 he produced at the GPO Film Unit

5922-611: The Sheppard Report. However, the Treasury Board of Canada had rejected efforts to fund its creation. Grierson was invited by Grant to report on the possibility of creating a film school. Grierson supported creating a school, if the External Affairs Ministry recommended that production be reduced to free up creative teachers. The CBC terminated its contracts with the NFB in 1966. The CBC and NFB's relations soured due to

6048-641: The Stoll in Kingsway and then was later screened throughout Britain. After this success, Grierson moved away from film direction into a greater focus on production and administration within the EMB. He became a tireless organizer and recruiter for the EMB, enlisting a stable of energetic young filmmakers into the film unit between 1930 and 1933. Those enlisted included filmmakers Basil Wright , Edgar Anstey , Stuart Legg , Paul Rotha , Arthur Elton , Humphrey Jennings , Harry Watt , and Alberto Cavalcanti . This group formed

6174-453: The Treasury he waited for the perfect time to resign. In 1969, an agreement was reached between the CBC and NFB in which the CBC would be allowed to air commercials during NFB programs. Revenue from sponsored films declined from $ 2.2 million to $ 1.6 million by August 1969. McPherson announced that 10% of the employees would be laid off by 1 January 1970. The employees formed a Crisis Committee under John Howe's leadership and film production

6300-625: The University of Glasgow. He left in 1950 due to financial restrictions on the documentaries that he wished to make. Grierson was appointed to the position of executive producer of Group 3 at the end of 1950; it was a film production enterprise that received loans of government money through the National Film Finance Corporation . They filmed at Southall Studios in West London but later moved to Beaconsfield Studios . Group 3

6426-603: The award-winning The Song of Ceylon (dir. Basil Wright ) which was sponsored jointly by the Ceylon Tea Propaganda Bureau and the EMB. In 1934, Grierson sailed on the Isabella Greig out of Granton to film Granton Trawler on Viking Bank which is between Shetland and the Norwegian coast. The footage from his voyage was handed over to Edgar Anstey , who pulled footage of when the camera had fallen over on

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6552-421: The camera to bring alive the lives of everyday people and events. Less commendable in Grierson's view was Flaherty's invalidating focus on exotic and faraway cultures. ("In the profounder kind of way", wrote Grierson of Flaherty, "we live and prosper each of us by denouncing the other"). In Grierson's view, the focus of film should be on the everyday drama of ordinary people. As Grierson wrote in his diaries: "Beware

6678-536: The ceremony to be held in Glasgow. He also received the Golden Thistle Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Art of Cinema at the Edinburgh Film Festival. In January 1969, Grierson left for Canada to lecture at McGill University ; enrollment for his classes grew to around seven hundred students. He also lectured at Carleton University once a fortnight. At Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh on 8 July 1969, Grierson received an Honorary Doctorate of Literature. A few days earlier on 4 July 1969, Grierson had opened

6804-451: The core of what was to become known as the British Documentary Film Movement . Robert Flaherty himself also worked briefly for the unit. In 1933 the EMB Film Unit was disbanded, a casualty of Depression-era economics. Grierson's boss at the EMB moved to the General Post Office (GPO) as its first public relations officer, with the stipulation that he could bring the EMB film unit with him. Grierson's crew were charged with demonstrating how

6930-445: The course of the next three years. André Laurendeau criticized the NFB for not creating a French-language side. In February 1957, Pickersgill allowed for Juneau to become the executive director and be in charge of financial administration and distribution. This was criticized by Montréal-Matin , Le Devoir , L'Action catholique , and other French-language media and Juneau was criticized for demoting Roger Blais , who claimed it

7056-444: The course of two years it was forced to pay for built-in higher salary costs and another salary increase due to an agreement with the SGCT union using existing funds. McPherson asked Pelletier to allow the NFB to spend over $ 500,000 more than its budget in order to avoiding firing 10% of the NFB's employees, and later asked the Cabinet and Treasury for more funding, but was unsuccessful. McPherson later stated that after his failure with

7182-426: The cousin of the NFB commissioner, shot The People Between and the Secretary of State for External Affairs 's department stated that some parts of the film were too favorable towards the Chinese Communist Party . Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis had NFB films removed from schools using accusations of communism. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police discovered that an employee for the NFB's Production Division, who

7308-443: The creation of a Canadian Film Commission, made up of private and governmental interests, but it was opposed by the NFB, CBC, CFDC, and Library and Archives Canada . However, they did agree to form the Advisory Committee on Film as an ad hoc committee. Pelletier later proposed the Global Film Policy in which the NFB would regionalize and share sponsored productions with the private sector. Pelletier's successor, Hugh Faulkner , replaced

7434-480: The deck of the boat to create a storm scene. Granton Trawler was a favourite film of Grierson's, he saw it as a homage to the Isabella Greig that was sunk in 1941 by German bombs when it went out to fish and was never seen again. The Private Life of Gannets was also filmed on the Isabella Greig; the film was shot on Grassholm with Grierson shooting the slow-motion sequence of the gannets diving for fish which took only one afternoon to shoot near Bass Rock in

7560-438: The director of French production, as his deputy commissioner. Domville offered to continue on as commissioner for another term after 1984, and his demands were accepted by the board of governors, but chose to leave after Francis Fox declined to accept or deny his renewal. After the 1979 election Prime Minister Joe Clark changed the ministry responsible for the NFB from the Secretary of State, which managed it since 1963, to

7686-528: The elimination of the government's role in producing and distributing cultural products and to instead give it to the private industry. They believed that the private industry could create an export market to compete with the United States. Fox later decided to allow the NFB continue producing content, but ended their involvement in sponsored content, along with their executive production of sponsored work given to private companies. John Grierson John Grierson CBE (26 April 1898 – 19 February 1972)

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7812-457: The end of May in 1938 for Canada and arrived on 17 June. Grierson met with the Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King and also spoke with many important figures across Canada, they were all in agreement of the importance of film in reducing sectionalism and in promoting the relationship of Canada between home and abroad. The head of the Motion Picture Bureau for Canada, Frank Badgley, did not appreciate Grierson's assessment and criticism of

7938-414: The end, of 406 people on board, only 148 people survived, including only 19 of 100 children. Grierson resigned from his position in January 1941. Over his year as Commissioner at the National Film Board 40 films were made; the year before the Motion Picture Bureau had made only one and a half. Recommendations for the future running were made for the National Film Board, and Grierson was persuaded to stay for

8064-418: The ends of the earth and the exotic: the drama is on your doorstep wherever the slums are, wherever there is malnutrition, wherever there is exploitation and cruelty." "'You keep your savages in the far place Bob; we are going after the savages of Birmingham,' I think I said to him pretty early on. And we did.") On his return to England, Grierson was employed on a temporary basis as an Assistant Films Officer of

8190-440: The equipment until 1934, and by then it had lost its theatrical distributors. Badgley was able to get a 16 mm film facility for the bureau in 1931. The bureau was reorganized into the National Film Board of Canada on 11 June 1941, following John Grierson 's recommendation. Ross McLean was working as the secretary to High Commissioner Vincent Massey when he met Grierson, and asked for Grierson to come to Canada to aide in

8316-425: The fact that he discovered that the Financial Secretary had made the herring industry his hobbyhorse. It premiered in a private film club in London in November 1929 on a double-bill with Eisenstein's -then controversial- film The Battleship Potemkin (which was banned from general release in Britain until 1954) and received high praise from both its sponsors and the press. The film was shown from 9 December 1929, in

8442-409: The film was also screened in forty other countries. The film cost $ 88,000, but the NFB gained a profit of $ 150,000 and the film's success was one of the reasons Grierson stated that Irwin "saved the Film Board". The NFB created its first television series, Window on Canada and On the Spot , with the CBC in 1953. However, the CBC opposed increasing the amount of NFB productions as they believed it

8568-433: The films made by the Bureau which was that they focused too much on Canada as a place to holiday. Grierson delivered his report on government film propaganda and the weaknesses he had found in Canadian film production; his suggestion was to create a national coordinating body for the production of films. An abridged version of the report ran to 66 pages, which was prepared by August in London. Grierson returned to Britain but

8694-418: The first time. Eisenstein's editing techniques and film theories, particularly the use of montage, would have a significant influence on Grierson's own work. Grierson returned to Great Britain in 1927 armed with the sense that film could be enlisted to build national morale and consensus, and to deal with social problems, a theory he would enact especially during the Great Depression . Filmmaking for Grierson

8820-454: The footage was turned into Reaction: A Portrait of a Society in Crisis and Action: The October Crisis of 1970 with some elements censored by Newman. French films banned under Newman's tenure were later released during Lamy's tenure. Kathleen Shannon attempted to have a division created to focus on films made by and about women due to the coming International Women's Year . Newman and Robert Verrall supported Shannon's attempt to get

8946-547: The governmental film policy. Grierson made a report on the Canadian film industry in 1938, and the National Film Act , which he drafted, was passed on 2 May 1939 causing the creation of the NFB. The position of Film Commissioner was left vacant for months, as Ned Corbett declined the appointment, until Grierson, who proposed Badgley and Walter Turnbull for the position, accepted the position for six months in October 1939, but served until 1945. Grierson selected McLean to work as assistant commissioner and Stuart Legg to oversee

9072-457: The heroic work of North Sea herring fishermen, was a radical departure from anything being made by the British film industry or Hollywood. A large part of its innovation lies in the fierce boldness in bringing the camera to rugged locations such as a small boat in the middle of a gale while leaving relatively less of the action staged. The choice of topic was chosen less from Grierson's curiosity than

9198-519: The idea of memory in the ways it explores the existence of slavery in Canada . At the end of the film, just before the credits there is a blurb reading: "In Canada, there were Amerindian and Black Slaves from the XVII to the XIX century". Although some would argue that black slavery in Canada was not significant or widely prevalent, it did exist and the enslavement practiced in Canada was illegal for some time. When it

9324-611: The job he had been asked to complete had been finished as far as he was concerned. Before he finished with the Wartime Information Bureau Grierson was also offered the role of chairman of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation but turned it down as he believed that this would give him too much power. On 26 February 1942, Grierson attended the Academy Awards and received the award on behalf of

9450-516: The middle of winter in Montreal when an old lady sits down with her grandson to explore the trials and tribulations his ancestors and other Black Canadians endured throughout history, with the aid of Jacques Roumain 's book Africa, I have kept your Memory . As each page in the book transforms into the next, the boy becomes fully immersed into the story and begins to discover how those events molded their unique culture today. The animated film deals with

9576-421: The minister was responsible for whatever went on at the NFB. Upon his arrival at the NFB in 1953, Juneau saw the difficulties of communication between French and English speakers and supported creating separate English and French production units. Additional units for French-language film production were created in 1958. A French-language branch of the NFB that was independent of its English-language productions

9702-515: The new primary school at Cambusbarron on 10 October 1967; his sister Dorothy attended the day with him. The BBC expressed their wishes to make a programme about Grierson in the year of his seventieth birthday, which he turned down three times In the year of his seventieth birthday, Grierson received many tributes from across the globe. He was made an honorary member of the Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians ; he pressed for

9828-615: The newly revived Films of Scotland Committee in 1955. Also on the committee were Norman Wilson , Forsyth Hardy , George Singleton , C. A. Oakley and Neil Paterson . In 1956, Grierson was the president of the Venice Film Festival 's jury; he was also jury president at the Cork Film Festival and the South American Film Festival in 1958. In 1957, Grierson received a special Canadian Film Award . Grierson wrote

9954-408: The private industry, accepted Lamy's recommendations for interactions with private companies, and declined to have the Department of Supply and Services manage sponsored films. However, 70% of the sponsored work were given to private companies by the end of Lamy's tenure. A $ 500,000 budget cut and 2.5% decrease in salaries over two years were implemented in 1975, after initially being threatened with

10080-1022: The productions. Grierson sent in a letter of resignation on 27 November 1940, in protest of the CGMPB and NFB not being merged, but agreed to stay on for another six months and the merger happened. Employment rose from 55 to 787 from 1941 to 1945, although it was cut by 40% after the war ended. The Case of Charlie Gordon was the NFB's first English-language film and Un du 22e was its first French-language film. In 1944, Grierson established twelve units to handle production; The World in Action and Canada Carries On , Industrial Relations, Health and Rehabilitation, Newsreel and Armed Forces, Animation, Dominion-Provincial, Travel and Outdoors, Armed Services, Foreign Language Programme, French Language Programme, Agriculture, and Education. Employees were contracted for three months as Grierson believed that job security hurt organizational creativity, but most employees worked longer than three months. Grierson made efforts to increase

10206-403: The public to comprehend and respond to issues vital to the maintenance of democratic society. In Grierson's view, a way to counter these problems was to involve citizens in their government with the kind of engaging excitement generated by the popular press, which simplified and dramatized public affairs. It was during this time that Grierson developed a conviction that motion pictures could play

10332-506: The raw" can be more real than the acted article. In this regard, Grierson's views align with the Soviet filmmaker Dziga Vertov 's contempt for dramatic fiction as "bourgeois excess", though with considerably more subtlety. Grierson's definition of documentary as "creative treatment of actuality" has gained some acceptance, though it presents philosophical questions about documentaries containing stagings and reenactments. Like many social critics of

10458-623: The script for, Seawards the Great Ships , which was directed by Hilary Harris and awarded an Academy Award in 1961, a feat for the Films of Scotland Committee. The first programme of This Wonderful World was aired on 11 October 1957 in Scotland; it was on The Culbin Sands which focused on how the Forestry Commission had replanted six thousand acres of woodland along the mouth of Findhorn . In

10584-786: The sea off the Old Head in Kinsale , and his brother Anthony, who had died in August 1971, had his ashes placed at the same time. A small flotilla followed the Able Seaman , which carried the ashes, and when the urns were lowered into the water, the fishing boats sounded their sirens. The Grierson Archive at the University of Stirling Archives was opened by Angus Macdonald in October 1977. Filmography as director: Filmography as producer/creative contributor: The Grierson Documentary Film Awards were established in 1972 to commemorate John Grierson and are currently supervised by The Grierson Trust. The aim of

10710-490: The secretary of state and representatives of the Treasury before being voted on in parliament, but it was changed to having members of the Standing Committee on Broadcasting, Films and Assistance to the Arts question the commissioner and Grant was the first commissioner to go through it. There had been multiple attempts by the NFB to create a film school and the idea received support from the External Affairs Ministry and

10836-505: The seventeenth century wild sand had blown into the mouth and covered the land, the successful replanting of the forest was a great success for the commission. This Wonderful World was shown weekly, other topics for episodes included Leonardo da Vinci , ballet, king penguins and Norman McLaren 's Boogie Doodle . This Wonderful World began to be aired in England in February 1959, it ran for

10962-599: The start of 1948 he resigned from his position as director for Mass Communications and Public Information, he left in April to return to Britain. In February 1948, Grierson was appointed the controller of the Central Office of Information 's film operations to co-ordinate the work of the Crown Film Unit and Films Division, and to take overall charge of the planning, production and distribution of government films. On 23 June 1948, he accepted an honorary degree, an LL.D from

11088-411: The strength within himself to overcome the challenges that may emerge just as his ancestors did before him. Chartrand utilizes a traditional animation technique known as paint-on-glass animation . It is considered one of the most demanding animation techniques. Chartrand familiarized herself with this technique when directing MacPherson and since mastered. The process involves manipulating wet media on

11214-465: The studio system in 1971. In 1962, Roberge proposed the creation of an organization to aid in film finance based on the National Film Finance Corporation and Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée . The Interdepartmental Committee on the Possible Development of a Feature Film Industry in Canada, under Roberge's leadership, was formed by the secretary of state. The committee submitted

11340-467: The term "documentary" in writing about Robert J. Flaherty 's film Moana (1926): "Of course Moana , being a visual account of events in the daily life of a Polynesian youth and his family, has documentary value." During this time, Grierson was also involved in scrutinizing the film industries of other countries. He may have been involved in arranging to bring Sergei Eisenstein 's groundbreaking film The Battleship Potemkin (1925) to US audiences for

11466-679: The theatrical distribution of NFB films, primarily its war-related films, as he was coordinating wartime information for the United Kingdom in North America. Famous Players aided in distribution and the Canadian Motion Picture War Services Committee, which worked with the War Activities Committee of the Motion Pictures Industry , was founded in 1940. NFB productions such as The World in Action

11592-541: The time, Grierson was profoundly concerned about what he perceived to be clear threats to democracy. In the US, he encountered a marked tendency toward political reaction, anti-democratic sentiments, and political apathy. He read and agreed with the journalist and political philosopher Walter Lippmann 's book Public Opinion which blamed the erosion of democracy in part on the fact that the political and social complexities of contemporary society made it difficult if not impossible for

11718-621: The title to John Grierson Presents. In 1967, after returning from the Oberhausen Film Festival where he had been the President of Honour of the jury, Grierson suffered a bout of bronchitis which lasted eight days. His brother Anthony, who had trained to be a doctor was called and diagnosed Grierson with emphysema , his coughing fits were a cause for concern, and he was admitted to Manor Hospital . Grierson decided to give up smoking and drinking to benefit his health. Grierson opened

11844-514: The war, the National Film Board focused on producing documentaries that reflected the lives of Canadians. The National Film Board has become recognized around the world for producing quality films, some of which have won Academy Awards . The National Film Board had become one of the largest film studios and was respected around the world for what it had achieved; it had especially had influence in Czechoslovakia and China. In December 1943 Grierson

11970-454: Was a Scottish documentary maker, often considered the father of British and Canadian documentary film . In 1926, Grierson coined the term "documentary" in a review of Robert J. Flaherty 's Moana . In 1939, Grierson established the all-time Canadian film institutional production and distribution company The National Film Board of Canada controlled by the Government of Canada . Grierson

12096-474: Was a communist, took photos of top-secret military equipment. The Department of National Defence prohibited the NFB from making films for it. Ross McLean followed the recommendations of the department and declared the NFB a vulnerable agency and the RCMP requested the firing of 36 employees. The RCMP requested him to fire a list of employees, McLean refused to fire any employees without their disloyalty being proven. He

12222-447: Was an exalted, patriotic calling. Grierson's thinking was elitist in some ways, which he exposed with his many dicta of the time, such as "The elect have their duty" and "I look on cinema as a pulpit, and use it as a propagandist." Grierson was also a cultural relativist. In the US, he had met pioneering documentary filmmaker Robert Flaherty and respected Flaherty immensely for his contributions to documentary form and his attempts to use

12348-549: Was appointed headmaster of Cambusbarron school. When the family moved, John had three elder sisters, Agnes, Janet, and Margaret, and a younger brother, Anthony. John and Anthony were enrolled at Cambusbarron school in November 1903. His sister Margaret died in 1906; however, the family continued to grow as John gained three younger sisters, Dorothy, Ruby , and finally Marion in 1907. Both parents steeped their son in liberal politics, humanistic ideals, and Calvinist moral and religious philosophies, particularly that education

12474-608: Was barred from taking an important position at the United Nations . Grierson was appointed as a foreign adviser to the Commission on Freedom of the Press in December 1943, which had been set up by the University of Chicago . Grierson was able to make a large contribution to the committee which included Robert M. Hutchins , William E. Hocking , Harold D. Lasswell , Archibald McLeish and Charles Merriam . A Free and Responsible Press

12600-484: Was born in the old schoolhouse in Deanston , near Doune , Scotland , to schoolmaster Robert Morrison Grierson from Boddam, near Peterhead , and Jane Anthony, a teacher from Ayrshire . His mother, a suffragette and ardent Labour Party activist, often took the chair at Tom Johnston's election meetings. The family moved to Cambusbarron , Stirling , in 1900, when the children were still young, after Grierson's father

12726-614: Was busy with This Wonderful World and the Films of Scotland Committee but still found time to attend the twenty-fifth anniversary of the National Film Board in Montreal. In 1965, Grierson was the patron of the Commonwealth Film Festival which took place in Cardiff in that year. In 1966, he was offered the role of Governor of the British Film Institute ; however, he turned down the position. This Wonderful World changed

12852-459: Was considerably less sanguine: Grierson's emerging and outspoken film philosophies caught the attention of New York film critics at the time. He was asked to write criticism for the New York Sun . At the Sun , Grierson wrote articles on film aesthetics and audience reception, and developed broad contacts in the film world. According to popular myth, in the course of this writing stint, Grierson coined

12978-416: Was critical of the NFB. It criticized the NFB's preference for aesthetics and cultural films instead of informational films. The report called for a reduction in NFB productions and that it should eventually be entirely replaced by private production. The External Affairs Ministry criticized Sheppard stating that he was serving his own interests. Prior budgets were created by having the commissioner meet with

13104-572: Was criticized by animators such as David Fine 's statement that "Norman McLaren would be turning in his grave if he knew how the place was being run". Fox organized the Applebaum-Hébert Committee under the leadership of Louis Applebaum and Jacques Hébert in 1981. It was the first review of cultural institutions and policies since the Massey Commission. The committee released its report on 15 November 1980, in which it called for

13230-641: Was elected by the Permanent Film Committee of the National Council for Canadian-Soviet Friendship to become honorary chairman. One of the tasks at the National Film Board that Grierson strongly pushed for the films being produced to be in French as well as English. He also pushed for a French unit in the National Film Board. Grierson concentrated on documentary film production in New York after resigning his post following in August 1945; his resignation

13356-527: Was essential to individual freedom and that hard and meaningful work was the way to prove oneself worthy in the sight of God. John was enrolled in the High School at Stirling in September 1908, and he played football and rugby for the school. In July 1915, Grierson left school with an overall subject mark of 82%; John had sat the bursary examination at Gilmorehill the month before, as his parents wanted him to follow his elder sisters, Janet and Agnes, in going to

13482-400: Was finally successful in getting the British gas industry to underwrite an annual film program. Perhaps the most significant works produced during this time were Housing Problems (dir. Arthur Elton , Edgar Anstey , John Taylor , and Grierson's sister Ruby Grierson , 1935). In 1938, Grierson was invited by the Canadian government to study the country's film production. Grierson sailed at

13608-581: Was for him criticizing the salary inequality between French and English speakers. Trueman accepted the position of commissioner with the promise that he would later be given a more prestigious position. He resigned during the French media criticism to become head of the Canada Council in 1957. He suggested Gérard Pelletier as his successor, but Guy Roberge , a former Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec who had written sections of

13734-590: Was formed on 1 January 1964, under the leadership of Pierre Juneau . One-third of the NFB's budget was given to French-language productions. Drylanders , the organization's first English language feature-length fiction film, was released in 1963. In February 1964, the English-language production units were replaced by a talent pool system where producers had less power and directors had more power. The French-language production units were replaced in September 1968. The pool system lasted until its replacement by

13860-557: Was founded on 19 September 1918, and was reorganized into the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau in 1923. The organization's budget stagnated and declined during the Great Depression. Frank Badgley, who served as the bureau's director from 1927 to 1941, stated that the bureau needed to transition to sound films or else it would lose its access to theatrical releases, but the organization did not gain

13986-527: Was free due to lowered production following the Crisis Committee's formation. 63 layoffs were proposed and it was reduced by 17 due to union opposition. The NFB's computer animation program was suspended due to budget cuts although the NFB's French Animated Studio, founded by René Jodoin in 1966, created Peter Foldes 's Metadata in 1971, and the Hunger in 1973. The NFB returned to computer animation in

14112-434: Was hurting CBC's growth. The majority of the filmmakers in the NFB opposed moving into television. Sydney Newman and Gordon Burwash, who supported moving into television, were sent to the United States in 1948 to learn about TV production and NBC was given the right to air NBC productions in exchange. When Newman and Burwash returned they joined the CBC as the NFB was unable to move into television. Half of all productions by

14238-535: Was invited back to Canada on 14 October 1938; he returned in November. In 1939, Canada created the National Film Commission, which would later become the National Film Board of Canada . The bill to create a National Film Board was drafted by Grierson; the bill was introduced in March 1939 and given Royal Assent on 2 May 1939. Grierson was appointed the first Commissioner of the National Film Board in October 1939. When Canada entered World War II in 1939,

14364-426: Was made into law, its purpose was to help drive the economy but was abolished when proven unfeasible. The film honours the memories of slaves and fugitives during that time by telling their stories. The boy is often placed in these significant scenes in history so that he can perhaps identify their struggles. Through this experience, he sees the linkage between their triumphs and the opportunities he's afforded, finding

14490-412: Was not reappointed as commissioner and replaced by William Arthur Irwin in 1950. Irwin reduced the demand and only three were fired. Irwin, the editor of Maclean's , was selected to replace McLean as commissioner of the NFB. The Financial Post , one of the NFB's leading critics and the sister publication of Maclean's , stopped its criticism following Irwin's selection and Kenneth Wilson, one of

14616-692: Was promoted to leading telegraphist on 2 June 1918 and remained on the vessel until he was demobilised with a British War Medal and the Victory Medal . Grierson returned to university in 1919; he joined the Fabian Society in 1919 and dissolved it in 1921. The New University Labour Club was initiated by John as well as the Critic's Club; he also had poetry published in the Glasgow University magazine from November 1920 until February 1923. Grierson received

14742-657: Was published in 1947. Grierson was offered the position of head of information at UNESCO at the end of 1946; he attended the first General Conference of UNESCO from 26 November until 10 December in Paris. He had the idea for the Unesco Courier which was published in several languages across the world, first as a tabloid and later as a magazine. Grierson was invited to open the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 1947, from 31 August to 7 September. At

14868-515: Was replaced by Lamy. Lamy criticized multiple French productions, such as Cotton Mill, Treadmill , 24 heures ou plus , and Un pays sans bon sens! , as being too biased or separatist and were ordered to not be released in 1970. Robin Spry was initially denied the ability to film the events of the October Crisis by the English side of the NFB, but was given permission by the French side and

14994-407: Was selected during Irwin's administration due to it bilingualism and two Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television stations being created there. Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent reached an agreement with Duplessis to allow the move. Donald Mulholland, the director of production, ended his support for the relocation to Montreal after Irwin's resignation and argued against it. Trueman did not take

15120-459: Was slow on the selection of a permanent commissioner. Grierson supported Grant's selection, but also put forward Newman. Hugo McPherson was selected to become commissioner in April 1967. Maurice Lamontagne selected Gordon Sheppard, a film producer, to review Canada's cultural policy and his report, Sheppard's Special Report on the Cultural Policy and Activities of the Government of Canada,

15246-416: Was stopped although a strike was not officially called. The committee suggested allowing government sponsors to choose between using the NFB or private companies, allowing outsiders to pay for NFB technical services, creating a unit system where 5-15 people would work together, and creating fees for distribution. McPherson supported the idea of distribution fees and thought that it was the only viable option for

15372-584: Was tenable for four years. Grierson entered the University of Glasgow in 1916; however, he was unhappy that his efforts to help in World War I were only through his work at the munitions. Grierson wanted to join the navy; his family on his father's side had long been lighthouse keepers, and John had many memories of visiting lighthouses and being beside the sea. He went to the Crystal Palace in London to train with

15498-399: Was to have continuous production from 1951 until 1955 when it stopped producing films, the organisation had made a loss of over £400,000 as production of the films usually ran over the time allocated, and there had also been difficulty getting the films shown in cinemas. During this time Grierson had been diagnosed with tuberculosis in May 1953, he spent a fortnight in hospital and then had

15624-575: Was to take effect in November 1945. In 1946 Grierson was asked to testify as part of the investigation of the Gouzenko Affair regarding communist spies in the National Film Board and the Wartime Information Board, rumours spread that he had been a leader of a spy ring during his offices with the Canadian government, a rumour he denied. Due to the rumours, the projects that Grierson had been trying to put together were not commissioned and he

15750-405: Was torpedoed four days after its sailing, and sank within thirty-one minutes in a Force 10 Gale. Ruby Grierson had managed to enter Lifeboat 8, full with more than thirty people, including eighteen girls and two female escorts, but as it was lowering, a wave crashed into the lifeboat, sending it into a vertical position, and throwing everyone in that boat into the sea. No one from Boat 8 survived. In

15876-474: Was watched by 30-40 million people per month in the United Kingdom and United States in 1943, and Canada Carries On was watched by 2.25 million people by 1944. The audience for NFB newsreels reached 40-50 million per week by 1944. Grierson opposed feature film production as he believed that Canada did not have a large enough market for an independent feature film industry. He supported working with American film companies and stated that "the theatre film business

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