1875 - 1948
pioneer American film director developed many of the basic techniques of filmmaking, such as close-ups, cross-cutting, and parallel editing.
He directed over 500 films, including The Birth of a Nation (1915), Intolerance (1916), Broken Blossoms (1919), Way Down East (1920), and Orphans of the Storm (1921).
He co-founded the studio United Artists in 1919 with Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks.
He was controversial for his racist and white supremacist views, which were reflected in some of his films, especially The Birth of a Nation, which caused a resurgence in the Ku Klux Klan, and the Confederacy.
He was widely celebrated and respected during his lifetime, but his reputation declined after his death due to his social and political views.