John Spotton
An image from Nobody Waved Goodbye, one of the productions that also features John Spotton.

John Spotton

August 8, 1927 — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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.

Buster Keaton Rides Again

Buster Keaton Rides Again

1965

Lonely Boy

Lonely Boy

1962

Nobody Waved Goodbye

Nobody Waved Goodbye

1964

Memorandum

Memorandum

1967

High Steel

High Steel

1965

Runner

1962

The Back-breaking Leaf

The Back-breaking Leaf

1959

City Out of Time

City Out of Time

1959