About

Known credits:
43
Birthday:
1884-02-16
Place of birth:
Iron Mountain, Michigan, USA
Website:
N/A

Robert Flaherty

Overview

Robert Joseph Flaherty (February 16, 1884 – July 23, 1951) was an American filmmaker who directed and produced the first commercially successful feature-length documentary film, Nanook of the North (1922). The film made his reputation and nothing in his later life fully equaled its success, although he continued the development of this new genre of narrative documentary with Moana (1926), set in the South Seas, and Man of Aran (1934), filmed in Ireland's Aran Islands. Flaherty is considered the "father" of both the documentary and the ethnographic film. Andrew Sarris in his influential book of film criticism The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 included him in the "pantheon" of the 14 greatest film directors who had worked in the United States.

Known for

Acting
2023 Monica in the South Seas Actor Self (archival footage) 59
Average
2010 A Boatload of Wild Irishmen Actor Himself (archive footage) N/A
N/A
1942 The Land Actor Narrator (voice) 59
Average

Directing
1949 Guernica Directing Director N/A
N/A
1948 Louisiana Story Directing Director 59
Average
1942 The Land Directing Director 59
Average
1938 The Titan: Story of Michelangelo Directing Director 59
Average
1937 Elephant Boy Directing Director 59
Average
1935 A Night of Storytelling Directing Director 58
Average
1934 Man of Aran Directing Director 60
Fair
1933 The English Potter Directing Director 59
Average
1931 Industrial Britain Directing Director 58
Average
1928 White Shadows in the South Seas Directing Co-Director 59
Average
1927 Twenty-Four Dollar Island Directing Director 59
Average
1926 Moana Directing Director 59
Average
1925 The Pottery Maker Directing Director 59
Average
1922 Nanook of the North Directing Director 63
Fair
1916 The Eskimo Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
1948 Louisiana Story Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1942 The Land Writing Writer 59
Average
1934 Man of Aran Writing Writer 60
Fair
1931 Tabu: A Story of the South Seas Writing Screenplay 61
Fair
1926 Moana Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1922 Nanook of the North Writing Writer 63
Fair

Production
1948 Louisiana Story Production Producer 59
Average
1938 The Titan: Story of Michelangelo Production Producer 59
Average
1931 Industrial Britain Production Producer 58
Average
1931 Tabu: A Story of the South Seas Production Producer 61
Fair
1927 Twenty-Four Dollar Island Production Producer 59
Average
1926 Moana Production Producer 59
Average
1922 Nanook of the North Production Producer 63
Fair

Camera
1943 Why We Fight: The Battle of Russia Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
1943 Why We Fight: The Nazis Strike Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
1942 The Land Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
1935 A Night of Storytelling Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1934 Man of Aran Camera Director of Photography 60
Fair
1931 Industrial Britain Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1927 Twenty-Four Dollar Island Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
1926 Moana Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
1922 Nanook of the North Camera Director of Photography 63
Fair

Editing
1927 Twenty-Four Dollar Island Editing Editor 59
Average
1926 Moana Editing Editor 59
Average
1922 Nanook of the North Editing Editor 63
Fair