Humphrey Jennings
Directing
Biography
Frank Humphrey Sinkler Jennings (19 August 1907 – 24 September 1950) was an English documentary filmmaker, celebrated for his poetic and visually striking portrayals of British life during World War II. A co-founder of the Mass Observation social research organization, Jennings blended avant-garde techniques with a deep sense of national identity, creating films that captured the resilience and spirit of the British people. His most acclaimed works, including Listen to Britain (1942), Fires Were Started (1943), and A Diary for Timothy (1945), showcase his unique ability to fuse documentary realism with lyrical storytelling. Film critic and director Lindsay Anderson described him as "the only real poet that British cinema has yet produced."
Filmography 37
Movies (36)
Humphrey Jennings: The Man Who Listened to Britain2025Self (archive footage)- The Changing Face of Europe1951Directing
Family Portrait1950Directing
The Dim Little Island1949Directing
The Cumberland Story1948Directing
A Defeated People1946Directing
A Diary for Timothy1945Directing
Myra Hess1945Directing
V.1.1944Directing
The True Story of Lili Marlene1944Directing
The Eighty Days1944Directing
The Silent Village1943Directing
Fires Were Started1943Directing
Listen to Britain1942Directing
The Heart of Britain1941Directing
Words for Battle1941Directing
This Is England1941Directing
London Can Take It!1940Directing
Spring Offensive1940Directing
Welfare of the Workers1940Directing
Cargoes1939Directing
Spare Time1939Directing
The First Days1939Directing
S.S. Ionian1939Directing
The Farm1938Directing
English Harvest1938Directing
Speaking from America1938Directing
Making Fashion1938Directing
Penny Journey1938Directing
Farewell Topsails1937Directing
Shows (1)
Omnibus1967Self