John Spotton (1927-1991)

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Birthplace:
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Born:
August 8, 1927

Died:
March 3, 1991

John Spotton was a Canadian filmmaker, cinematographer, and editor associated with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). He played a pivotal role in developing the Direct Cinema movement, contributing to documentaries that emphasized naturalistic and unobtrusive filming techniques. Spotton's notable works include Buster Keaton Rides Again (1965), a documentary capturing the making of Keaton's short film The Railrodder, and Memorandum (1965), which explores the Holocaust's impact on survivors. His contributions significantly influenced documentary filmmaking in Canada and beyond.

Additional information:

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Camera Operator:
1958  A Day in June
1961  The Days of Whisky Gap

Director:
1958  A Day in June
1961  The Days of Whisky Gap
1965  Buster Keaton Rides Again
1966  Never a Backward Step
1967  Memorandum
1979  A Pinto for the Prince

Director of Photography:
1952  The Puppeteers
1953  The Story of Peter and the Potter
1957  What Do You Think About... Being Different
1958  A Day in June
1958  Railroaders
1961  Circle of the Sun
1961  The Days of Whisky Gap
1962  Runner
1963  Toronto Jazz
1964  Legault's Place
1964  Nobody Waved Goodbye
1964  The Hutterites
1965  Buster Keaton Rides Again
1965  High Steel
1966  Never a Backward Step
1967  Memorandum
1973  Kainai
1979  A Pinto for the Prince

Editor:
1952  The Puppeteers
1953  The Story of Peter and the Potter
1957  What Do You Think About... Being Different
1958  A Day in June
1958  Railroaders
1959  City Out of Time
1959  The Back-breaking Leaf
1960  I Was a Ninety-pound Weakling
1961  Circle of the Sun
1961  The Days of Whisky Gap
1962  Lonely Boy
1962  Runner
1963  Toronto Jazz
1964  Legault's Place
1964  Nobody Waved Goodbye
1964  The Hutterites
1965  Buster Keaton Rides Again
1965  High Steel
1966  Never a Backward Step
1966  The White Ship
1967  Memorandum
1973  Kainai
1979  A Pinto for the Prince

Executive Producer:
1952  The Puppeteers
1953  The Story of Peter and the Potter
1957  What Do You Think About... Being Different
1958  A Day in June
1958  Railroaders
1959  City Out of Time
1959  The Back-breaking Leaf
1960  I Was a Ninety-pound Weakling
1961  Circle of the Sun
1961  The Days of Whisky Gap
1962  Lonely Boy
1962  Runner
1963  Toronto Jazz
1964  Legault's Place
1964  Nobody Waved Goodbye
1964  The Hutterites
1965  Buster Keaton Rides Again
1965  High Steel
1966  Never a Backward Step
1966  The White Ship
1967  Memorandum
1973  Kainai
1979  A Pinto for the Prince
1983  Home Feeling: Struggle for a Community
1983  Prisoners of Debt: Inside the Global Banking Crisis
1985  Final Offer
1985  Pitchmen
1988  Peep and the Big Wide World

Producer:
1952  The Puppeteers
1953  The Story of Peter and the Potter
1957  What Do You Think About... Being Different
1958  A Day in June
1958  Pilgrimage
1958  Railroaders
1959  City Out of Time
1959  The Back-breaking Leaf
1960  I Was a Ninety-pound Weakling
1961  Circle of the Sun
1961  The Days of Whisky Gap
1962  Lonely Boy
1962  Runner
1963  Toronto Jazz
1964  Legault's Place
1964  Nobody Waved Goodbye
1964  The Hutterites
1965  Buster Keaton Rides Again
1965  High Steel
1966  Never a Backward Step
1966  The White Ship
1967  Memorandum
1973  Kainai
1979  A Pinto for the Prince
1979  Viking Visitors to North America
1983  Home Feeling: Struggle for a Community
1983  Prisoners of Debt: Inside the Global Banking Crisis
1983  Thanks for the Ride
1984  Abortion: Stories from North and South
1985  Final Offer
1985  Pitchmen
1988  Peep and the Big Wide World

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