All Rivers Spill Their Stories to the Sea
Jeanie Finlay / United Kingdom / 2026 / World Premiere / 90 min
A wave of poisoned crabs, like a biblical plague has washed ashore on the coast of North East England, where fishermen, coastal communities and politicians are fighting for different futures after Brexit. A highly topical tale with a strong local accent.
The times are not what they used to be. Fisherman Stan Rennie and his family have been fishing in the waters of North East England for centuries. But now a wave of poisoned crabs has hit the small communities on the East coast far from London, where people for generations were either fishermen or factory workers. The fishermen think the crabs have been poisoned and it is virtually impossible to make a living from fishing. Brexit has not exactly made things better, and while the fishermen are sounding the alarm and throwing themselves into defending the sea, enterprising local politicians are nurturing visionary plans for a new industrial golden age. Jeanie Finlay (‘Your Fat Friend’, CPH:DOX 2024) approaches this complex issue with sober clarity, but also with a keen empathy for a community that has not been accustomed to having a public voice. The camaraderie is strong, however, and the locals grab a pint at the pub while planning their next move – and make sure it won’t be their last.