Profile image of Robert Gardner

Robert Gardner

Acting

Birth Date

November 5, 1925

Place of Birth

Brookline, Massachusetts, USA

Date of Death

June 21, 2014

Biography

Robert Gardner was the Director of the Film Study Center at Harvard University from 1957 to 1997. He is known for his work in the field of non-fiction film. He is an internationally renowned filmmaker and author whose works have entered the permanent canon of non-fiction filmmaking. Some of his most prominent films include Dead Birds (1964), a lyric account of the Dugum Dani, a Stone Age society at one time living an isolated existence in the Highlands of the former Netherlands New Guinea (Gardner was the leader of the Peabody Museum-sponsored expedition to study the Dani in 1961-62); Rivers of Sand (1974), a social commentary on the Hamar people of southwestern Ethiopia; and Forest of Bliss (1985), a cinematic essay on the ancient city of Benares, India, which explores the ceremonies, rituals, and industries associated with death and regeneration. Gardner’s films have received numerous awards, including the Robert J. Flaherty Award for best nonfiction film (twice); the Golden Lion for Best Film at the Florence Film Festival (three times); and First Prizes at the Trento, USA Dallas, Melbourne, Nuoro, EarthWatch, Athens, and San Francisco film festivals. His films have been invited to Festivals throughout the world including Jerusalem, Bergen, London, Munich, Toronto, Montreal, Margaret Mead, Marseilles, Locarno, Chicago and Cinema du Réel.

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.