Alan Root (born 12 May 1937, London) is a filmmaker who worked on nature documentary series such as Survival.Until 1981 he was married to fellow filmmaker Joan Root, who was a Kenyan-born (to British parents) conservationist and ecological activist murdered in Kenya in 2006. The couple did National Geographic articles together from 1963 to 1971 on animals, Galapagos Islands, and mainly African wildlife.Notable films include: The Year of the Wildebeest (1974), Safari by Balloon (1975), Mysterious Castles of Clay (1978), Two in the Bush (1980) and A Season in the Sun (1983) African films shot through the lens of Kenya-based film-maker Alan Root, working with his then wife, Joan. The Roots' strong narrative style characterised much of Survival’s output. The Year of the Wildebeest was the epic story of the thundering migration of wildebeest herds across the plains and rivers of the Serengeti. Mysterious Castles of Clay, by contrast, showed wildlife in intricate detail in and around termite mounds, revealing the insects' highly organised society and skills of construction. It received a nomination for an Academy Award. The Roots used a hot-air balloon to film sequences for the wildebeest film, and further explored its usefulness to film animals on the mountains and plains of East Africa in Safari by Balloon. Highlight of their journey was the first hot-air balloon flight over Mount Kilimanjaro. Two in the Bush (re-titled Lights, Action, Africa! in the USA) included footage of a spitting cobra directing its venom at Joan’s face positioned just a few feet from the snake while Alan filmed. A Season in the Sun, an account of wildlife’s struggle to survive the heat and drought of the dry season, won an Emmy and a Peabody Award after it was aired by PBS in 1987. Alan and Joan Root were responsible for many of Survival's most successful films for almost 20 years from the mid-1960s. After their partnership ended, Alan Root continued his association with Survival as a cinematographer, producing his own films and guiding the early African work of camera team Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone, while latterly also acting as adviser to the series. The Enchanted Isles (1967) Alan and Joan Root went to the Galapagos Islands to make a film that retraced the voyage of Charles Darwin.
His ex-wife Joan Root was fatally shot in January 2006 by assailants who broke into her lake front farmhouse outside Nairobi. Authorities suspect the conservationist was attacked because she tried to prevent illegal fishing on the lake. A former employee and a poacher are being held in the killing police said.
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The Roots who made 10 movies together were considered pioneers for making nature films that woke up the genre of wildlife documentaries. A 1981 Times review called them "one of the world's greatest photographic teams."
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While filming footage for Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey (1988), Root was bitten in the thigh by a charging gorilla, as he describes in TV documentary "Gorillas: Primal Contact." On another occasion (in 1969) his left forefinger was bitten off by a puff adder.
Cinematographer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Built for the Kill
2001
TV Series documentary 1 episode
Heart of Africa
1996
TV Mini-Series
The Living Planet
1984
TV Series documentary 1 episode
Kobjes: A Rock for All Seasons
1980
Documentary
Mysterious Castles of Clay
1978
Documentary
The Year of the Wildebeest
1975
Documentary
Balloon Safari
1975
Documentary
National Geographic Specials
1972-1974
TV Series documentary 3 episodes
Baobab: Portrait of a Tree
1973
Short
Mzima: Portrait of a Spring
1972
Documentary
Survival
1967
TV Series documentary 1 episode
Geheimnis Leben
1967
Documentary
Serengeti
1959
Documentary
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Nature
2006
TV Series documentary executive producer - 1 episode
Heart of Africa
1996
TV Mini-Series producer
Kobjes: A Rock for All Seasons
1980
Documentary producer
Mysterious Castles of Clay
1978
Documentary producer
The Year of the Wildebeest
1975
Documentary producer
Balloon Safari
1975
Documentary producer
Baobab: Portrait of a Tree
1973
Short producer
Mzima: Portrait of a Spring
1972
Documentary producer
Survival
1961
TV Series documentary producer
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Heart of Africa
1996
TV Mini-Series segment "Forest Primeval"
Kobjes: A Rock for All Seasons
1980
Documentary
Mysterious Castles of Clay
1978
Documentary
The Year of the Wildebeest
1975
Documentary
Balloon Safari
1975
Documentary
Baobab: Portrait of a Tree
1973
Short
Mzima: Portrait of a Spring
1972
Documentary
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Africa's Flying Hooves
1999
TV Movie documentary consultant
Gorillas in the Mist
1988
special gorilla photographer: Zaire
Camera Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Survival
1961
TV Series documentary camera operator - 1 episode
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Greatest Return
2011
Video documentary short post-production
Himself
The Blood of the Rose
2009
Documentary
Himself
ITV 50 Greatest Shows
2005
TV Movie
Himself
The Way We Went Wild
2004
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1994
Golden Camera
Golden Camera, Germany
Best Documentary
For his various animal documentaries.
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1990
BAFTA Film Award
BAFTA Awards
Best Cinematography
Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey (1988)