Donald Brittain
Donald Code Brittain, OC (June 10, 1928 – July 21, 1989), was a renown award winning Canadian film maker, especially with the National Film Board. He directed, wrote, narrated and produced over 100 films and documentaries. His breakthrough came with "Fields of Sacrifice" in 1963. Brittain's legacy isn't just his films; his camaraderie and perfectionism left a lasting impact and set the standard for professionalism at the National Film Board.
| Known For | Directing |
|---|---|
| Most Rating | 0.1888 |
| Birthday | 1928-06-10 |
| Place of Birth | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Also Known As |
1966
Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen
7.182/11
A 1964 documentary portrait of Cohen in his pre-musician days as a poet and stand-up comedian.
Watch Now
Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen
1976
Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry
5.682/11
This feature-length Oscar®-nominated documentary focuses on Malcolm Lowry, author of one of the major novels of the 20th century, Under the Volcano. B...
Watch Now
Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry
1967
What on Earth!
6.455/11
In this Academy Award–nominated animated satire, Martian observers analyze life on Earth and reach a startling conclusion: automobiles appear to be th...
Watch Now
What on Earth!
1974
King of the Hill
8/1
This feature documentary follows one of the greatest Canadian baseball players of all time, Ferguson Jenkins, through the 1972-1973 season. From the h...
Watch Now
King of the Hill
1966
Stravinsky
7.75/4
This documentary is an informal portrait of the great modern composer Igor Stravinsky. Proudly American, though still very much an Old World figure wi...
Watch Now
Stravinsky
1980
The Lost Pharaoh: The Search for Akhenaten
10/1
Ancient pharaoh Akhenaten was almost lost to history. Canadian archaeologist Donald Redford, who uncovered the foundation of one of the pharaoh’s many...
Watch Now
The Lost Pharaoh: The Search for Akhenaten
1986
Mobility
9/1
This short documentary examines the complex range of issues affecting urban transport in developing countries. After examining cost and available tech...
Watch Now
Mobility
1985
First Stop, China
7/1
First Stop, China is a record of the choreographed performances and the unrehearsed moments of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens ballet company on the road...
Watch Now
First Stop, China
1979
Canada Vignettes: Wop May
6.25/4
This short animated film is about Wop May, one of Canada's leading bush pilots in the 1920s.
Watch Now
Canada Vignettes: Wop May
1968
Juggernaut
10/1
In 1968, a convoy set off to transport a Calandria, the 70-ton core of a Canadian nuclear reactor, to Rajasthan in India. Even the largest semi-traile...
Watch Now
Juggernaut
1975
Whistling Smith
6.667/6
This film is a revealing portrait of a tough cop with a big heart. Sergeant Bernie "Whistling" Smith walks the beat on Vancouver's Eastside, the hango...
Watch Now
Whistling Smith
1986
The Champions, Part 3: The Final Battle
7/2
The final instalment of this 3-part documentary series about Pierre Elliott Trudeau and René Lévesque spans the decade between 1976 and 1986. The film...
Watch Now
The Champions, Part 3: The Final Battle
1978
The Champions, Part 1: Unlikely Warriors
8/2
In Part 1 of this 3-part documentary series, director Donald Brittain chronicles the early years of Pierre Elliott Trudeau and René Lévesque. From the...
Watch Now
The Champions, Part 1: Unlikely Warriors
1978
The Champions, Part 2: Trappings of Power
7.5/2
Part 2 of this 3-part documentary series about Pierre Elliott Trudeau and René Lévesque covers the years between 1967 and 1977, a colourful decade tha...
Watch Now
The Champions, Part 2: Trappings of Power
1989
The Magical Eye
8/1
Features clips from 21 documentary and animation film classics, interviews with NFB filmmakers past and present, and incisive commentary from film cri...
Watch Now
The Magical Eye
1979
Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed
0/0
Bureaucracy shapes our lives and guides us from the cradle to the grave. This documentary lays bare the idiosyncrasies of bureaucracy, whether in Cana...
Watch Now
Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed
1986
Tommy Douglas: Keeper of the Flame
9.5/2
This feature documentary traces the political career of T.C. (Tommy) Douglas, former premier of Saskatchewan and leader of the New Democratic Party, w...
Watch Now
Tommy Douglas: Keeper of the Flame
1977
Henry Ford's America
10/1
A study of the automobile and its pervasive effect on the history of North America. Focusing on the Ford dynasty, from the original Henry car through...
Watch Now
Henry Ford's America
1985
Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks
7/3
A biographical drama that profiles the life of Hal C. Banks, a controversial American labour union leader, who came to Canada in 1949 to lead a viole...
Watch Now
Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks
1992
Donald Brittain: Filmmaker
7/1
A retrospective of documentary films by Donald Brittain offering a glimpse of the man and the restless energy that informed his work. Dedicated and ha...
Watch Now