Faith and Progress: A Study of Father Colin MacInnes’ Work in Gleanntan Ecuador (1995)

This article examines the portrayal of Father Colin MacInnes in the Scottish Gaelic documentary Gleanntan Ecuador (Jan Pester, 1994). A Catholic priest from South Uist in the Scottish Outer Hebrides, MacInnes moved to Ecuador in 1984 and settled in Comité del Pueblo, a shantytown located in the outskirts of Quito, where he spent over twenty years contributing to local initiatives such as the provision of running water, hospitals, and churches. Central to the film is MacInnes’ efforts to secure funding for a water supply project, achieved through transnational solidarity networks. This article constitutes the first academic approach to the film, bringing together studies in architecture and urban development, anthropology, ethnography, and religious and cultural studies. It argues that, by prioritising MacInnes as a spokesperson for the locals, the film inadvertently reproduces “civilisation and progress” tropes commonly associated with cinematic portrayals of religious missionaries in Ecuador and Latin America. This statement is supported by identifying onscreen binaries between the precariousness of the Ecuadorian township and the idyllic landscapes of the Scottish Isles, emphasising the charity of Scottish parishioners. The film also reiterates the hostility of local communist leaders, highlighting intimidation tactics and extorsion, which speak of its positionality within a postcommunist world.