Information
- BFI identifier14679
- Date1929 (Release)
- Production countryUnited Kingdom
- Production company
- SynopsisTells the story of the North Sea herring fleets. Filmed around the coast of Yarmouth and Lowestoft and Lerwick in the Shetlands in all weathers, but using some studio sets for interiors. (Synopsis) DOCUMENTARY. The story of the North Sea herring fisheries, filmed at Lerwick, in the Shetlands, Lowestoft and Yarmouth and in the North Sea. (Synopsis) Rl.1 Views of Lerwick, a fishing village (89-108); the fishermen marching down to their boats, passing some laid-out nets (128); closer shots (134); angry waves breaking against the rocks (154); a gull in flight (161); gulls alighting on the water (176); a panning shot of the Lowestoft fishing fleet in the harbour (198); nets being loaded on board a ship, watched by the skipper from his cabin (233); coal being loaded from a lorry on the quayside (247); a stoker at work below with cross-cuts to the smoking funnel (276); a signal is made from the cabin and the ship casts off (308) and heads towards the open sea (309); the engine room, stoker and furnace in various cross-cuts (345); the ship's stern (348) and bows, followed by a montage of waves, pistons and stoker dissolving to the wake of the ship and the ship's funnel belching smoke (381); various shots of the procession of boats leaving the harbour (445); close shot of a ship's smoking funnel (462); the fleet passing the headland towards the North Sea (505); waves smashing against the headland (528); cross-cuts of engine room and headland and then two of the fleet are seen ploughing their way through heavy seas (588); the log line (601-608); and gulls following in the wake of the ship (617); the stoker (620); the funnel (623); the fleet entering calmer waters (647); a submarine shot of a shoal of herrings, interposed with a shot of the ship (655-673); the bridge (681); the men prepare the nets (700); a long shot of another ship in the fleet (722); the skipper watches the weather (730-739) whilst down below the cook and boy prepare a meal (747-809); close shot of the skipper followed by cross cuts of the log line, the cooks at work and ships (827); one of the crew climbs up to the bridge (840); the ship heels round (850); submarine shot of the herring shoal (857 ft). Rl.2 The herrings (868); the nets are cast, with detailed shots of ropes passing over the cradle, the run on the rollers, the boy below, and the men on deck (1011), the work goes on against a darkening sky (1031-1085); submarine shots of congers (1102); the work continues until the last float is cast (1143); the empty dining saloon (1156); the men descend to their meal (1157); a flock of birds silhouetted against the sky (1177); the mizzen is set for the night (1194); the silhouetted birds (1205); the men descending to the cabin (1204); close shots of the meal table interposed with shots of the birds (1239); the nets go drifting into the darkness (1257-1282); submarine shots of nets, dogfish and congers (1342); a man keeps the watch (1363); a rushing shoal of herrings with contorting congers and dogfish (1411); the markers on the surface (1432); the fish (1546); cross cuts of the sleeping skipper, an old member of the crew and the boy interposed with a shot of a conger (1579); dawn breaks with a heavy swell over the sea (1597-1669); a bell-buoy (1696); the men awaken and prepare for hauling (1803 ft). Rl.3 The men come on deck in oilskins and sou'westers (1825); the old men rouses the sleeping boy (1858); the winches turn and the nets are hauled aboard loaded with fish (2045); a storm gathers, increasing the difficulty of the work (2061-2077); the men gaze at the gathering storm in the sky (2107); spray dashes over the bows and sides of the ship, but the catch continues to be hauled aboard (2214); a whale comes alongside (2216); the hauling continues (2259); cross cuts of steam for the straining winches, the boy at work and the whale (2339); after eight hours labour, the hauling is done and the fish loaded into the hold (2395); the rolling ship turns her head towards the harbour and goes full speed ahead for the earliest market and is shown in a series of cross cuts of the sea, engine room and the ship's bow (2405-2508); other ships in the fleet (2597); the men eating below (2608); cross cuts of the rough sea breaking over the ship's bow, the men eating, the skipper on the bridge and the stoker at work below (2674 ft). Rl.4 Cross cuts of the crew, gulls, the sky and ships heading towards the harbour (2712); the log line, stoker, funnel, rough seas and the ships bows (2772); the stoker pauses in his work to light a cigarette from a shovel of flaming coals from the furnace (2796); on the quayside at Yarmouth, the auctioneer's bell calls the buyers together (2814-2840); the fleet racing home through a stormy sea (2860); a ship enters the harbour (2880); breaking waves (2895); more of the fleet come successfully home (2915), passing the busy quayside crowded with fisher-girls and the waiting buyers (2939); the heaviest laden come last of all into the harbour (3020); the crowded harbour scene (3098); the auctioneer raises his bell (3049); views of the ship from the quay (3058); the buyers assemble on the quay (3076); gulls on the sea and in flight (3155); breaking waves (3158); a montage of the auctioneer, buyers and breaking waves (3174); the fleet at the quayside with smoking funnels (3186); the unloading of the catch, interposed with shots of the auctioneer's bell, buyers and gulls (3257); cartfuls of baskets on the quay (3344); close shot of one of the auctioneers (3357); surrounded by buyers (3382); ice is poured on to the fish (3386); a flashback to the hauling (3392); cross-cuts of icing and packing the fish (3401); the girls gutting (3437); close-up of a buyer (3442); salting the fish (3403); a montage of rolling barrels (3473) which dissolves to a shoal of herrings and scenes of hauling (3495); cranes lifting the barrels and crates (340); a cargo ship moves off, followed by a montage and cross cuts of a train leaving interposed with shots of the hauling (3091). The film closes with impressionistic studies of railways tracks, railway bridges and trains carrying the fish to other markets (3631). The End (3642 ft). (Shotlist)
- Genre
- Subject
- CreditsDirected by: John Grierson
New Era presents: New Era Films
[Production Company]: Empire Marketing Board Film Unit
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Title
Drifters (Original)
EIDR identifier
10.5240/35D5-98C2-B43A-6D1C-6236-KCategory
Non Fiction (Public Record)This work is included in the BFI Filmography.
This work is available to view in the Mediatheque at BFI Southbank.
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35mm BW Positive - Safety - Silent - Viewing
16mm BW Positive - Safety - Silent - Viewing
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16mm BW Positive - Safety - Silent - Viewing
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view all - Scripts / DocumentsEphemera: publicity - PBS-14679
Ephemera: publicity - The large pressbook for the 1929 silent film, Drifters. Content includes reviews, advertisements, promotional ideas and materials, and informational articles and interviews. Single sheet, one sided, black and white. - PBL-14679
Small pressbook held.
view all - StillsPhotograph: print - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00n-x9e
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- Digital documentsBFI Southbank Programme Notes November 2012
available to view in BFI Reuben Library