Blue Has No Borders

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.

Director: Jessi Gutch 

Producers: Nicki Parrott, Charlie Phillips 

Executive Producers: Mark Thomas, Natasha Dack 

Production Companies: I Am Charlie, Tigerlily Two 

Sales Agent: I Am Charlie 

Screen Scotland support: The film accessed £50,000 through Screen Scotland’s Film Development and Production Fund 


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. 

A person wearing a hijab and a dark vest over a light grey sweater stands on a pebbled beach, gazing out at the sea under an overcast sky.


More information

Premiere: Blue Has No Borders had its World Premiere at Sheffield DocFest on Friday 20 June, and will have its Scottish Premiere at the Central Scotland Documentary Festival on Saturday 1 November 2025. 

Image credits: Stills courtesy of Tigerlily Productions