In this special bonus episode for the Sheffield DocFest, I sit down with UK-based filmmaker and writer, Jessi Gutch to talk about her deeply personal and beautifully crafted documentary, Blue Has No Borders.

Set in the port town of Folkestone, the film explores themes of migration, identity, and community through a hybrid documentary style that blurs the lines between filmmaker and subject, observer and participant. Jessi reflects on the power of collaborative storytelling, the emotional complexity of borders - visible and invisible - and the importance of vulnerability and humour in her creative process.

Synopsis: 'A young filmmaker is determined to know her neighbours in the port town of Folkestone. But in the aftermath of Brexit, building new relationships isn’t easy. In Folkestone, which refugees attempt to reach from France on a daily basis, tensions are rife. Old traditions die hard, voices struggle to be heard and the notion of British identity is regularly asserted and contested. In the face of mounting pressure, Jessi Gutch sets out to do the unthinkable: seek common ground. Honest conversations with six people, grappling the divisions surrounding race, class and politics, give way to a rumination on how make sense of our present moment, in spite of all the uncertainty and fear. An ode to participatory filmmaking and forging messy friendships in your own backyard, Blue Has No Borders illustrates how spending time with people from all walks of life is in itself an act of hope.'

Blues Has No Borders will be screening for the Sheffield Doc Fest on the following dates:

Fri 20 June 21:00 - 22:47

Showroom - Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Audio Description (AD)

Q&A with director Jessi Gutch, and protagonists Heba Arab and Neil Jones. Moderated by Joan Parsons.

Sat 21 June 10:15 - 12:02

Curzon - Screen 3

Audio Description (AD), Descriptive Subtitles (Open Captions)

Q&A with director Jessi Gutch, and protagonists Dita Garbo and Josie Carter. Moderated by Dan Weldon.

Sun 22 June 15:30 - 17:17

Curzon - Screen 2

Audio Description (AD)

Q&A with director Jessi Gutch. Moderated by Hope Cook.

Don't miss your chance to experience this powerful documentary film on the big screen!

To book your tickets, click HERE

You can follow Jessi on Instagram @jessi_gutch

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Disclaimer: Apologies for the imperfect sound, all is recorded over Zoom. Furthermore, I mention the Sheffield Doc Fest screenings in the interview, which had actually not yet happened at time of recording :)