Robert Gardner

Born: 1925-11-05

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.


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Dead Birds

as Narrator
Released: 1963-10-01

The film's title is borrowed from a Dani fable that Gardner recounts in voice-over. The Dani...

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Reality's Invisible

as Himself
Released: 1972-04-19

Fulton made the film during his brief time at Harvard, where he had been invited to teach by...

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Looking at Forest of Bliss

as Himself
Released: 2000-05-13

Director Robert Gardner and legendary filmmaker Stan Brakhage share an in-depth viewing of...

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Q'eros: The Shape of Survival

as Narrator
Released: 1979-03-14

Exploration of the way of life of the Q’eros Indians of Peru, who have lived in the Andes for...

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Flaherty and Film

as Self - Host
Released: 1960-01-01

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Screening Room

as Himself
First aired: 1972-11-01

Independent filmmakers are given a chance to show and discuss their work on a commercial...

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