Profile image of Robert Flaherty

Robert Flaherty

Acting

Birth Date

February 16, 1884

Place of Birth

Iron Mountain, Michigan, USA

Date of Death

July 23, 1951

Biography

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.

Complete Filmography

Your privacy is important to us

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your experience, tailor content to your interests, and understand how you use our platform. Some cookies are essential for the service to function properly, while others help us enhance our streaming service and keep it secure.

By clicking "I Agree", you agree to our use of cookies. You can also choose "Customize" to manage your preferences and control which cookies you want to enable. For more details, please read our Cookies Policy.