'Hitchcock on Grierson' and 'Drifters'

John Grierson is widely regarded as the father of the British documentary movement, sparked by the critical success of Drifters in 1929. He was instrumental in the founding of EIFF and opened the First International Festival of Documentary Films in 1947, together with H. Forsyth Hardy.

Here the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, pays tribute to Grierson and his legacy, celebrating his contribution to the world of documentary filmmaking, and marking him as a true pioneer in the field. For Grierson, documentary filmmaking was 'an adventure in public observation' and a 'creative treatment of actuality'. We are also delighted to present a screening of Grierson’s Drifters, which tells the story of Britain’s North Sea herring fishery and is a truly cinematic document of “life in the very act of being lived”.

Material for 'Hitchcock on Grierson' supplied by STV Footage Sales.