Stubs - Moana (1926)

Moana. A Romance of the Golden Age (1926) starring Ta’avale Uni, Fa’amgase Súa-Filo, Pe’a Taulealea, Tu’ungaita. Directed by Robert J. Flaherty and Frances Hubbard Flaherty. Produced by Robert J. and Frances Hubbard Flaherty. Written by Robert J. and Frances Hubbard Flaherty. Black and White. Run time: 98 minutes. USA. Silent with sound, Documentary

If you ever wondered where the term "documentary" comes from, you need look no further than a contemporary review of this film. Scottish filmmaker, film theorist, and critic John Grierson, writing for The New York Sun under the name “The Moviegoer”, coined the term in his review on February 8, 1926, the day after Moana opened. Grierson is considered by many to be the father of British and Canadian documentary film. Despite that, many view the film as more docufiction.

Stubs - Nanook of the North

Nanook of the North (1922) Starring Allakariallak, Nyla, Cunayou. Directed by Robert J. Flaherty. Written by Robert J. Flaherty. Produced by Robert J. Flaherty. Run time: 79 minutes. USA. Black and White. Silent. Documentary.

The very earliest films, produced by the Lumière Brothers were what are known as "Actualités", short pictures of real people in real places. The first of these films was La sortie des usines Lumière (Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory), (1895), was also the first film exhibited by the Lumières on December 28, 1895. These sorts of films were the precursors to what would become documentary films.

While not the first documentary, Nanook of the North by Robert J. Flaherty was the first full length documentary to achieve commercial success. As such, it would show the financial viability of the genre and would inspire other filmmakers and films to come.