Guttin' Quines - Graduation Film

Our Story:

Jeannie, a newly married fishwife, isolates herself and avoids interacting with the community while her husband, Robert, is away at sea. Embarrassed by her inactivity, her mother-in-law, Maggie, insists that she start working as a herring gutter at the docks. Jeannie feels anxious about this, worried that working at the docks will be tough and that the women there will be even tougher. After an embarrassing first day, Maggie tells Jeannie to go home and not return. Determined to prove Maggie wrong, Jeannie practices that night and comes back the next day ready to show her skills. However, Maggie is not there when Jeannie arrives; she has taken the day off to mourn the anniversary of her husband’s death. The two women's relationship follows and engage in heartfelt conversation, sharing their first moment of friendliness, as the film continues to explore the difficulties of harbour life.

Why Now?

The Scottish fishing industry has been declining for decades. Each passing year carries their legacy to a forgotten part of history. These women were courageous and essential to the community, yet their stories are untold. Using this film to capture this history, we will celebrate their determination so that future generations will remember their contributions. We aim to authentically recreate the communities, by immersing our audience in harbour life and coming face-to-face with the harsh realities that go hand-in-hand.

Why Support Us?

With your help, we can transport this film set back to the olden days of the fishing community on the east coast of Scotland, to truly give this film the accurate representation it deserves. We are also working with the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther for information and assistance. The funds raised will allow us to:

- Design authentic costumes and sets, such as ganseys and locations like Pittenweem harbour where we have shot today.

- Create and resource safe and realistic props

- Preserve a dying legacy. 

These women faced so much more than hardship and we want to honour their resilience and heritage. Whether you can contribute financially or share our story, your support is very much appreciated by our team. 

Our Team:

Duncan Forbes - Writer / Director

"Hi, my name is Duncan and I am the writer and director of Guttin' Quines. This film first started with me and Gus sat in the front of my car, at the end of a shoot day, talking about our grannies. We both have heritage in East Coast fishing communities and talked about the stories our grannies would tell us. From this, came a desire to represent these stories and this legacy on film for our final year project. I am excited to work on Guttin' Quines because it allows me to preserve a part of my heritage and history."

Alana Robertson - Producer

"I am very excited to be the Producer on Guttin' Quines. The story is very special to me as my family are from a small fishing village on the northeast coast of Scotland. Over the past 3 years at university, I have been refining my craft which has helped me build the skills I need to help my team pull off this massive film! I am looking forward to the journey of this film and helping preserve the legacy of these brave and beautiful women."

Angus Rodger - Writer / Director of Photography

"I’m super excited to tell the largely untold story of the Guttin’ Quines. Their raw strength and resilience shaped coastal communities. I hope to bring their world to life, showing both the hard times and the happy times. With a strong community support system and incredible resilience, I think we could all learn a few things for these women!"

India Marhsall - Production Designer

"Hi! I'm India and I'm the production designer for Gutting Quines. I am thrilled to be working on a film with such passionate people and to have the opportunity to bring the reality of these resilient women to the screen. I want to honour their stories as accurately as I can, so follow along on our journey to see how we bring their world to life!"

Ethan Lennon - Editor

“I’m really excited to work on this film because it’s telling the story about an often overlooked part of Scottish culture and history, and the people who worked hard to make it successful, all whilst dealing with their own struggles. Growing up in a small community myself, it’s wonderful to be able to tell a story that resonates with my own childhood as well.”

Alex Lennen - Head of Sound

"I really enjoyed working with everyone on the test shoot, it's really cool to have a crew that's so passionate about the project. Sound design will play an important part in bringing the fishing village to life, and I'm excited to use everything I've learned so far at university to achieve this."