All Rivers Spill Their Stories To The Sea
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.
Jeanie Finlay
Jeanie Finlay is a British documentary filmmaker and artist known for intimate, award-winning work that resonates globally. In 2026 she premiered her tenth feature film All Rivers Spill Their Stories to the Sea at CPH:DOX where it was nominated for the F:ACT AWARD. Her 2023 film Your Fat Friend had its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, followed by its international premiere at Sheffield Doc Fest, where it won the audience award, followed by a pioneering, creative distribution path to audiences around the world.
She has made films for HBO, BBC, and IFC, including four for the acclaimed BBC Storyville strand including Bifa & Grierson nominated The Great Hip Hop Hoax and Bifa winning Orion: The Man Who Would Be King.
Whether inviting audiences to share the (extra)ordinary journey of a British transgender man, pregnant with his child (BIFA nominated Seahorse), behind the scenes of Teesside’s last record shop in her home town (SOUND IT OUT), or onto the set of Game Of Thrones: in her Emmy nominated The Last Watch, her work is known for its emotional intimacy, pathos and humour and has garnered Emmy, BIFA, Grierson wins and nominations.
A champion of creative distribution, she’s a Chicken & Egg Awardee with retrospectives at Criterion, BFI, and MOMI NYC, True Story and Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. The recipient of an honorary Doctorate of arts in recognition of her contribution to documentary, Jeanie is a member of AMPAS, BAFTA, and FWD-Doc.
She is founder of the production company Glimmer Films and co-founder of its creative distribution arm Glimmerama with creative producer and head of business affairs, Suzanne Alizart.