John Grierson Movies

  • 1935
    A Colour Box

    A Colour Box

    A Colour Box

    61935HD

    Animated shapes dance to Cuban music. This was one of the first animations to be painted directly onto the film.

    A Colour Box
  • 1936
    Night Mail

    Night Mail

    Night Mail

    6.11936HD

    This documentary short examines the special train on which mail is sorted, dropped and collected on the run, and delivered in Scotland on the...

    Night Mail
  • 1937
    Trade Tattoo

    Trade Tattoo

    Trade Tattoo

    5.91937HD

    Trade Tattoo went even further than Rainbow Dance in its manipulation of the Gasparcolor process. The original black and white footage consisted of...

    Trade Tattoo
  • 1934
    Granton Trawler

    Granton Trawler

    Granton Trawler

    4.91934HD

    Documentary following an Edinburgh fishing trawler, the "Isabella Grieg".

    Granton Trawler
  • 1934
    The Song of Ceylon

    The Song of Ceylon

    The Song of Ceylon

    6.21934HD

    Ambitious documentary chronicling the cultural life and religious customs of the Sinhalese and the effects of advanced industrialism on such customs.

    The Song of Ceylon
  • 1935
    Coal Face

    Coal Face

    Coal Face

    6.1251935HD

    1935 documentary about the hard working life of Welsh coal miners.

    Coal Face
  • 1929
    Drifters

    Drifters

    Drifters

    6.11929HD

    A silent film by John Grierson. It tells the story of Britain's North Sea herring fishery.

    Drifters
  • 1934
    Post-Haste

    Post-Haste

    Post-Haste

    4.9291934HD

    Humphrey Jennings' first film as a director, a brief overview of the British postal service.

    Post-Haste
  • 1952
    The Brave Don't Cry

    The Brave Don't Cry

    The Brave Don't Cry

    5.81952HD

    The Brave Don't Cry aspires to the "feel" of a documentary, right down to the deliberate absence of background music. A mine in Scotland falls victim...

    The Brave Don't Cry
  • 1960
    Seawards the Great Ships

    Seawards the Great Ships

    Seawards the Great Ships

    6.81960HD

    Documentary about shipbuilding on the Clyde. In 1960, Glasgow and other towns and ports on the River Clyde, on the west coast of Scotland, were still...

    Seawards the Great Ships
  • 1931
    Industrial Britain

    Industrial Britain

    Industrial Britain

    5.4291931HD

    Grierson set out to make "propaganda," and this film--with it's voice-over proclaiming the great value of the British industrial worker, without a...

    Industrial Britain
  • 1938
    North Sea

    North Sea

    North Sea

    5.71938HD

    Drama-documentary, reconstructing a real incident in which a trawler got into difficulties in a North Sea storm. Released 7th March 1938.

    North Sea
  • 1952
    Miss Robin Hood

    Miss Robin Hood

    Miss Robin Hood

    7.51952HD

    In this delightful fantasy adventure, a mild-mannered writer of adventure stories for girls finds himself presented with an intriguing proposition...

    Miss Robin Hood
  • 1990
    Creative Process: Norman McLaren

    Creative Process: Norman McLaren

    Creative Process: Norman McLaren

    61990HD

    Norman McLaren was a cinematic genius who made films without cameras, and music without instruments. He produced sixty films in a stunning range of...

    Creative Process: Norman McLaren
  • 2024
    A Return to Memory

    A Return to Memory

    A Return to Memory

    02024HD

    When Canada entered World War II, the National Film Board suddenly had an urgent new mission—and hundreds of women stepped forward, helping to...

    A Return to Memory
  • 1951
    You're Only Young Twice

    You're Only Young Twice

    You're Only Young Twice

    4.81951HD

    Seeking her long lost uncle, Ada Shore arrives at Skerryvore University to find him working under another name as the Gate Keeper. Ada is mistaken by...

    You're Only Young Twice
  • 1934
    6.30 Collection

    6.30 Collection

    6.30 Collection

    21934HD

    Short documentary showing the workings of a large London sorting office.

    6.30 Collection
  • 1938
    The Face of Scotland

    The Face of Scotland

    The Face of Scotland

    71938HD

    The history of Scotland and the factors that have shaped the character of its people.

    The Face of Scotland
  • 1950
    Four Men in Prison

    Four Men in Prison

    Four Men in Prison

    01950HD

    Part of BFI collection "Police and Thieves."

    Four Men in Prison
  • 1932
    The New Generation

    The New Generation

    The New Generation

    01932HD

    A record of an educational experiment in the small town of Chesterfield in Derbyshire.

    The New Generation