Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes won the best cinema documentary prize at The Grierson Trust’s 2023 British Documentary Awards last night (November 9) in London.
The film about two brothers who rescue and care for thousands of New Delhi’s black kite birds premiered at Sundance last year. All That Breathes, which is produced by Rise Films, Kiterabbit Films and Tangled Bank Studios, also won the best single documentary – international at the Griersons, the prestigious UK documentary awards.
The film is sold internationally by Submarine Entertainment and was distributed in the UK by Dogwoof Releasing.
Brett Morgen’s David Bowie biopic Moonage Daydream won the prize for best music documentary. Taking to the stage to accept the prize, Morgen gave a passionate defence for the creation of documentaries for cinemas. “A lot of people have questioned whether there are theatrical documentaries or documentaries for streaming, if there is a difference – and there is a difference,” said Morgen.
“My team and I spent a tremendous amount of time on the sound, and building this film for cinemas – it is not a film about facts and information, it is a film that is designed to be experienced in a communal setting.”
BBC documentary Once Upon A Time in Northern Ireland from KEO Films and Walk on Air Films won two awards for Best Documentary Series and Best History Documentary.
The BBC picked up the most awards with six in total and Netflix won two with Channel 4, Disney+, and Sky Documentaries/HBO Documentary Films, and Apple TV+ winning one each.
This year’s BBC Grierson Trustees Award was presented to Anna Hall, and the Sky Documentaries Grierson Hero of the Year Award to Deaf & Disabled People in TV.
The awards were handed out at a ceremony hosted by comedian Nish Kumar at the Queen Elizabeth Hall London, and attended by hundreds of leading filmmakers, producers and executives from the UK and around the world.
Lorraine Heggessey, chair of The Grierson Trust said: “At a time when the pressures on documentary filmmakers are higher than ever, The Grierson Trust believes it’s important to celebrate their achievements, and to recognise the commitment to documentaries from such a wide range of commissioners and funders.”
Grierson British Documentary Awards 2023 winners
ENVY Best Single Documentary – Domestic
Lyra (Channel 4)
HBO Documentary Films Best Single Documentary – International
All That Breathes (HBO/Sky Documentaries)
Televisual Best Current Affairs Documentary
Retrograde (National Geographic Documentary Films – Disney+)
Best Arts Documentary
”SR.” (Netflix)
Best Music Documentary
Moonage Daydream
Broadcast Sport Best Sports Documentary
The Real Mo Farah (BBC)
Best History Documentary
Once Upon A Time In Northern Ireland (BBC)
The Open University Best Science Documentary
Inside Our Autistic Minds (BBC)
Best Natural History or Environmental Documentary
Big Oil Vs The World – Denial (BBC)
Prime Video Best Entertaining Documentary
Pepsi, Where’s My Jet? - The Kid From Seattle (Netflix)
Channel 4 Best Constructed Documentary Series
Monster Factory (Apple TV+)
Netflix Best Documentary Series
Once Upon A Time In Northern Ireland (BBC)
Red Bull Studios Best Cinema Documentary
All That Breathes
All3Media Best Student Documentary
With Woman (Mia Harvey, Yu-Pu Pon, Luke Barnfather, Diana Duah, Sophie Esslemont, Mara Ciobra (NFTS))
Fullwell 73 Best Documentary Short
Lady Of The Gobi (the guardian.com)
Disney+ Best Documentary Presenter
Hannah Fry for Making Sense Of Cancer With Hannah Fry (BBC)
Sky Documentaries Grierson Hero of the Year Award
Deaf & Disabled People In TV - Bryony Arnold, Caroline O’Neill and Charlie Pheby
BBC Grierson Trustees’ Award
Anna Hall
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