Donald Brittain: Filmmaker
" The documentary crew is a small band of adventurers thrown together in a desperate enterprise, totally reliant on each other for survival and charged
with the job of bringing something
back alive and thus hopefully illuminate some corner of the human spirit. "
- Donald Brittain
Gemini Award for
Best Documentary
Gemini Nomination
for Best Direction
Montreal World Film Festival
Hot Docs
Donald Brittain was among Canada's greatest filmmakers and a true hero in the
history of the enterprise of the documentary film. He was the Director and Writer of such
classic works as Fields of Sacrifice, Memorandum, Bethune, Paperland, Ladies and Gentlemen
Mr.Leonard Cohen, The Champions, and the Academy Award Nominee, Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcom Lowry, narrated by Richard Burton.
Donald Brittain; Filmmaker is a close look at this brilliant and irascible filmmaker. Both a biography and a retrospective of Brittain films, it offers a glimpse of the man and the restless energy that informed his work. Dedicated and hard-working, Donald Brittain left nothing to chance, driving himself and his colleagues at the NFB and the CBC until perfection was achieved, or until airtime, whichever came first.
Directed and Written by: Kent Martin
Produced by: Adam Symansky
Cinematography: Kent Nason
Editor: Hannale Halm
Associate Producer: Ray Harper
Sound: Arthur McKay
Sound Editing: Les Halman
Narration: Douglas Rain
Executive Producer: Colin Neale
Watch Film: https://www.nfb.ca/film/donald_brittain_filmmaker
Many of Donald Brittain's films can be viewed at: www.nfb.ca
Also read an essay by Adam Symnasky about working with Donald Brittain;
https://www.nfb.ca/playlists/adam-symansky/donald-brittain/