Drifters

The film starts with images of the Scottish fishing village Hanna Voe. Men are on their way to the boats, which are being prepared for herring-fishing. In the next shot, the ships are at sea and the nets are put out. When night falls, the fishermen go to their shelters. We see shots of various types of fish which were obviously shot in an aquarium. A storm rises, but first the nets are hauled in. The boat returns to the harbour where the fish is unloaded and put into barrels. Finally, we see the subsequent transport of the fish by train and ship. DRIFTERS gave John Grierson a chance to put into practice his ideas about documentary film: "Dealing with reality in a creative manner." He made a film that was not based upon a novel or play, nor did he use any film stars. In this story, he summarized the experiences of the Scottish fishermen. As his main characters he selected the fishermen and the sea. The simple dramaturgy of the film was most effective, partly owing to its rhythmic montage. DRIFTERS had its premiere in London in November 1929, in the same programme as Eisenstein's BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN.