Drifters / Caller Herrin' (1929)

Drifters, the story of the North Sea herring fleets from Yarmouth and Lowestoft to Shetland, broke new ground in 1929. Filmed mainly at sea in all weathers, but with studio sets for some interior scenes, it established Grierson's style of creative interpretation of actuality which came to characterise the British school of documentary film-making. Directed and edited by John Grierson. Photographed by Basil Ermmott. Caller Herrin' was made for the Scottish Home Department in 1947 by Campbell Harper Films. Following herring boats at sea off the coast of Scotland and the Shetland Islands, it also shows scientific developments in fish processing. Directed by Alan Harper.