A short film shot in a north-east fishing village has been dedicated to the memory of a woman who died tragically in a house fire earlier this year.
The team behind Whistle My Lad have paid tribute to Joan Rennie, who played a vital role in the film’s production in Crovie, near Gardenstown.
Richard Burke, the film’s screenwriter and executive producer, said she had been an unrivalled source of local knowledge, and helped find the crew the fishing cottage where the film is largely set.
“Without her help, I don’t think we would have any where near such an authentic feel to the film,” he said.
The Crovie native struck up a friendship with the crew on the day they arrived in the scenic coastal town to begin scouring the coast for locations.
The 15-minute short depicts life in an Aberdeenshire fishing community in 1911, as seen through the eyes of teenager Janet West.
Producer, Brodie Marno, said: “Joan was a lovely lady. I think she was one of the very few original Crovie residents.
“She just saw us walking about, she knew what sort of place we were after and got us the house.
“We went to her house a few times and had coffee and talked about Crovie, and she put us in touch with other locals as well.”
The film received its premier at a red carpet event at Cineworld Union Square in Aberdeen on May 5.
The following day Ms Rennie’s house went up in flames.
The 69-year-old former art teacher, who died alongside her springer spaniel, Milly, was described as “the heart and soul” of Crovie.
Mr Burke said the team were deeply saddened by the tragedy.
“I phoned Joan the week before the special screening, I’d emailed her with an invite but she said she couldn’t make it,” he said.
“I said ‘will you come see it at some point in the future?’ She said that would be great, and the following week she was gone.”
The film has just finished a tour of the Buckie and Banff coast, and received its second Aberdeen screening at the city’s international film festival last week.
As it was completed before her death, an end credit dedication was not possible, so at every showing since the tragedy, the filmmakers have paid a verbal tribute to Ms Rennie’s input.
Mr Burke said: “She was an elemental part of Crovie.”