Upcoming Film Borges and Me Shoots Scenes in St Andrews

On 15 October, the streets of St Andrews were transformed into a filming location for the upcoming film Borges and Me, directed by Marc Turtletaub. This film is an adaptation of Jay Parini’s novelised memoir of the same name. It tells the true story of Parini, a young and ambitious St Andrews student who meets Argentine writer, translator, and essayist Jorge Luis Borges visiting the town. When Parini is tasked with caring for his new-found blind companion, the unexpected duo embark on an odyssey through the Scottish Highlands in Parini’s car, who describes the sights of the landscape to Borges. The memoir Borges and Me: An Encounter was released in 2020 and met with positive reviews. It was praised by reviewers such as Oliver Balch of The Guardian for its simplicity, charm, and wit.

The film’s cast is full of notable Hollywood names. Jay Parini is played by Fionn Whitehead, known for his roles in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and recent BBC televised adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations directed by Brady Hood and Samira Radsi. Chilean actor Luis Gnecco portrays Borges, who is best known for his role in the biographical drama Neruda. Alan Cumming is rumoured to have joined the cast, however, this has yet to be confirmed. As the Emmy-winning host of the US reality TV sensation The Traitors, Cumming has become a household name. He also boasts an extensive filmography, including work ranging from X2: X-Men United to Apple TV’s music mash-up series Schimgadoon! Cumming is also well-known for his experience in theatre, famously playing Emcee in Cabaret on the West End in 1993 and again on Broadway in 1998.

Similarly, the crew behind Borges and Me boasts a lengthy portfolio of work. Director Marc Turtletaub recently directed Jules and has various producing credits on projects, such as the critically acclaimed Little Miss Sunshine and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which starred Tom Hanks as children’s TV host Mister Rogers. Borges and Me is produced by the US company Big Beach Productions, which Turtletaub has worked with over the past two decades. Other production companies involved in this film are UK-based Ossian International and Dutch production company Lemming Film. The involvement of several international producers is a testament to the size of this project.

Filming locations in St Andrews took place on West Sands, Hope Street, North Street, and St Salvator’s Quad, each transformed into a 1970s setting. Streets used in filming were littered with vintage cars whereas modern-day objects were removed to avoid any on-screen anachronisms. Additionally, extras were dressed in the fashion of the era. Shooting on location involved various parking restrictions and the temporary block of traffic from filming locations. Scenes shot on West Sands also featured cast members on horseback. 

Students and locals faced some disruption as production commenced in the town. This included the so-called stop-go procedure that temporarily blocked traffic on North Street between takes. Those attending lectures in St Salvator’s Quad were directed by the crew to avoid impacting the filming process. Fife Council worked with TayScreen, the Office for the Councils of Dundee, Angus, Fife, and Perth & Kinross, to organise filming permission.

In an interview with Julie Craik, Project Manager for FifeScreen+TayScreen, described the role of TayScreen in facilitating filming in St Andrews: “The office acts as an intermediary body that liaises with producers and private filming locations.” Craik noted that production companies are required to provide their own staff and equipment to manage traffic. TayScreen aids in this process, providing producers with a list of services that can be used for this purpose. Craik additionally clarified that production has to engage with residents, who often work with local community councils to conduct procedures such as letter dropping. This is how production notifies residents of how they will be impacted by filming and requests them to follow instructions that will ensure the smoothest operation. 

On the matter of high-profile filming, Craik said: “Where filming is very evident, we try to engage with local elected councillors.” She also emphasised the office’s desire to minimise any potential disruption caused by filming, for example, full road closures are “not necessarily the most desirable but are kept to a minimum.” 

Production of Borges and Me continued in Haddington, East Lothian, on 27 October. The town’s high street was similarly visually transported back to the 1970s. Businesses and residents were warned about Sunday’s filming a week in advance. The use of St Andrews as a filming location comes off the back of several film projects being made in Scotland. Notably, Netflix’s flagship original series The Crown was also shot in St Andrews in March 2023. The episode ‘Alma Mater’ focused on William and Kate’s time together in St Andrews. This filming also took advantage of the historic university architecture, featuring spots such as St Salvator’s Quad. Famously, St Andrews served as the backdrop for Hugh Hudson’s Chariots of Fire, which famously features a running scene across West Sands with music by composer Vangelis. 

Out with St Andrews, Scotland has become a destination for filmmakers. In September, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, starring Mia Goth and Jacob Elordi, filmed in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Scotland has even appeared in multiple Marvel projects including Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Borges and Me is slated for a 2025 theatrical release, with St Andrews making a yet another appearance on the big screen.

Photo by Alix Ramillon