Shake Loose The Border is a film about outlaws. Specifically, a breed of wild, raiding horsemen known as the Border Reivers.

For centuries, the contested Anglo-Scottish border was the location of brutal conflict between the two nations. Year after year, local farms and livelihoods were destroyed in the endless fighting. A hardened breed of borderer emerged, mounting raids for food to survive the long winters.

It’s 1604. England has a new king who seeks unification once and for all. One by one the Reiving families fall until there are but a handful left, determined to protect their land and their way of life, at any cost.

The Kerr family stands between James I and victory over the reivers. What ensues is a wild, lawless ride, a ‘last stand’ fulled by an undiluted hunger to survive.

Shake Loose The Border is no polite, costumed parade of period tropes. Without the Border Reivers, we would not have the Western. The ‘Scots-Irish’, as they became known, eventually made their way to the Appalachians in America. With them, they brought the songs of their forefathers. Fused with the blues of the Mississippi delta, these songs gave birth to rock n roll.

Ever wondered where Neil Armstrong got the courage to walk on the moon? What made Nixon think he could blackmail and bribe his way through his presidency? Or why Brian Cranston was so convincing when he declared ‘I am the one who knocks’?’

Simple. Armstrong, Nixon and Cranston are reiver names.