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A VERY SHORT HISTORY OF BRITISH DOCUMENTARY

Locals in Sumatra c.1920

Documentary films have reflected attitudes and driven changes in British society for a century.


THE ORIGINS OF DOCUMENTARY

The origins of British documentary can be traced even further back, through early photography and nineteenth century print journalism to the graphic cartoons of the eighteenth century.

As a distinct movie genre British documentary emerged around 1906. From this point on documentary films quickly established a theme. The theme focused on the culture of British working life and particularly the working classes. A classic of this genre is Grierson’s The Drifters.




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