Leon Gast
American film director (1936-2021) · United States · On the map · Directors · Died at 85
Leon Jacques Gast was an American documentary film director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. His documentary, When We Were Kings depicts the iconic heavyweight boxing match: The Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
Leon Gast is read about 14 times a day, in 6 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 12 June 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.
Something wrong?A life in dates
MannyFilm, Director2010
Smash His CameraFilm, Director2009
Soul PowerFilm, Producer20031 LoveFilm, Director
B.B. King: Live - Most Famous HitsFilm, 2003Director, Producer
Pointer Sisters: All Night LongFilm, 2003Director, Producer1998
B.B. King: Live In Africa '74Film, Director, Producer1997Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature FilmAward1996
When We Were KingsFilm, Director, Writer1993Fania All Stars: Live In Africa 1974Film, Director1983
Hells Angels ForeverFilm, Director1977
The Grateful Dead MovieFilm, Director1976
SalsaFilm, Director, Writer1972
Our Latin Thing (Nuestra Cosa)Film, Director1936BornPeople around Leon
Close ties
Also in Deutsch
Filmography 15
27 credits on file
Media & music
Photos 1
Awards
About this person
This film would go on to win the 1996 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and the Independent Spirit Award. Gast co-directed the 1977 documentary, The Grateful Dead Movie with guitarist Jerry Garcia. The film captured the band's October 1974, five-night performance at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. Gast also co-directed the 1983 film Hell's Angels Forever, which focused on the notorious motorcycle club Hells Angels. The Angels are believed to have learned that Gast put material in the documentary which they didn't prefer. To this end, Gast claimed that the Angels tracked him down and beat him up. Gast also produced works on B.B. King and Celia Cruz.
