Brexit: The Movie

Last updated

Brexit: The Movie
Brexit The Movie logo.jpg
Directed by Martin Durkin [1]
Written byMartin Durkin
Production
company
Wag TV [1]
Release date
  • 11 May 2016 (2016-05-11)
Running time
81 minutes [2]
CountryUnited Kingdom [1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget£300,000 [3]

Brexit: The Movie is a 2016 British film written and directed by Martin Durkin, advocating for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, commonly called Brexit (a portmanteau of British and exit). The film's production was funded through crowdfunding via Kickstarter.

It premiered in London on 11 May 2016, before being released the following day on YouTube and Vimeo.

Production

Brexit: The Movie was written and directed by Martin Durkin to advocate for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Brexit) prior to the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum in June 2016. [4] [5] The film was crowdfunded through Kickstarter, with its £100,000 goal having been met with contributions from 1,500 donors by 26 February 2016. [1] [6] [7]

According to the film's official website, by the end of production, a total of over £300,000 had been raised by over 1,800 contributors. [3] One of the producers of the film David Shipley was convicted of fraud by false representation and received a jail sentence of three years and nine months in February 2020. [8] The fraud occurred in 2014 when he was attempting to find funding for his corporate finance advisory firm Spitfire Capital. [9] The firm provided £50,000 towards the production of the film. [10]

The film featured many leading advocates of leaving the European Union, including:

Synopsis

The film argued it was in the interest for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, due to lack of accountability of its institutions and that Britain should follow the Swiss economic model and strike new trade deals with the rest of the world.

The film explains that the United Kingdom will not require a trade deal with the European Union after leaving, it will likely to get one because 'the Union is desperate to keep it goods flowing into the UK' [20] '. David Davies MP then encourages the viewer to stand outside and count how many German manufactured cars are outside, explaining that the UK car market is worth £16 billion every for German car companies. [20] Meanwhile, the percentage of trade from the UK into the rest of the European Union is declining. Daniel Hannan explains 'that it is falling virtually by the minute, I mean its tumbling while we are doing this interview'. [20] Ruth Lea states simply 'They need us more than we need them [20] '.David Davies MP comments that Britain has a long established history of trading since the days of the slave trader, Sir Francis Drake [11] and believes that once out of the European Union, the UK will be able strike further trade deals.< [11]

Matt Ridley believes by leaving the European Union, the UK "we could have prosperity on a level that we can’t even imagine now". [21] The film narrator reinforces point by explaining that by "escaping fortress Europe could be a new start for Britain; a return at last to the global commercial and trading giant we were in the 19th Century. If we embrace free trade and escape the stultifying restrictions of EU over-regulation, there’s the potential for an extraordinary economic renaissance [21] ".

Kelvin Mackenzie comments that "It comes down to the essential issue, the working man and woman of this country against people who think we have a better plan and a better mind than you, and if you don’t like it, what are you going to do – and the answer is, we’re going to vote Leave". [22] He then proceeds to blow a raspberry along with the reverse v-sign. [22]

Simon Heffer argues that: "If I was told I'd be stewing grass to feed my own family in 5 years' time if we left the EU - I would still do it". [22]

Distribution

The film was made available for free online streaming on YouTube and Vimeo on 12 May 2016, [2] [23] the day after its release and premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square in London. [24] The film's premiere was organised by Brexit campaign Leave.EU with sponsorship from the aircraft manufacturer, Britten-Norman. [5] [25]

Sam Kriss of Vice Magazine described the audience at the showing "of what appeared to be sixth-formers, gangly with pinched-in faces, still growing into their dinner jackets, the kind of kids who occasionally exclaim "huzzah!" without any sense of shame..between them were the potato-headed men with their scabbed, port-stained faces and their leathery wives, draped generously in tan cloth and ancestral privilege". [26]

He goes on to explain that the premiere of the film showed the "face of our new social insurgency. Brexit is the upper classes in revolt". [26] Those who attended the premiere included Mike Read, Nigel Lawson, Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot, Nigel Evans, Kate Hoey, John Redwood, Nigel Farage, Ben Duncan, Peter Whittle, Daniel Hannan, Harry Cole, Lizzie Cundy and David Davis. [27] [28] [29] [30] [31]

During the showing of the film, a member of the audience shouted "Nonce!" when footage was shown of Edward Heath signing Britain into the European Economic Community. [26] [32] Further boos and hisses were aimed at Tony Blair and David Cameron when showed up on the screen. [32] One member of the audience called for them to be hanged. [30]

It was also broken into a twenty six part series published as a YouTube playlist, embedded on the film's official website. [33]

Reception

Brexit: The Movie received over 1.5 million views on YouTube by 23 June 2016 (the date of the referendum). [2] The film received mixed reviews from critics. Paul Baldwin writing for The Daily Express , a pro-Brexit newspaper, called it a "powerful" exposure of the lack of accountability within the European Union. [6] Nicholas Dunn-McAfee of the Public Relations and Communications Association commented that the film was "easily digestible" and "witty" but felt that it was a "little too late and a little too stretched". [34]

Newsweek 's reviewer noted the film's attempt to market to conservative, anti-establishment audiences, calling it "a libertarian's wet dream of Randian proportions" but criticised alleged inconsistencies in the film. [35] The Huffington Post reviewer felt that relied on ethnic stereotypes and omitted certain perspectives. However also praised the film's persuasiveness, but indicated that it could potentially drive voters to support the UK remaining within the EU. [24] German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , criticised the lack of balance in the film, as it did not feature a single pro-European Union viewpoint. [36]

There was further criticism of the film's use of national stereotypes. Owen Bennett explained that the Italians were "portrayed as shoddy with workers more concerned with snogging a curvaceous woman than making quality brollies", [32] while the French "was, yep you guessed it, wearing a beret, a striped top and had a string of onions round his neck". [32]

Vice reviewer Sam Kriss also criticised the national stereotypes : "A French farmer is reading Le Monde with a string of garlic around his neck. A ramshackle European umbrella factory is represented by two skinny men in white vests and suspenders who spend their time pawing at a woman in a red dress; their Chinese competitors have straight backs, expressionless faces, and are very good at sums". [26] Reviewers from The Tab who attended the premier, Joseph Archer & Claire Anderson at this point "sat uneasy in our seats as the film rolled on". [31]

Sam Kriss argued that while the film had strong arguments against the European Union, he believed "why the upper classes are so excited for Brexit. They see an undemocratic and unaccountable EU elite ruling by diktat and an unfounded sense of their own superiority, and they think: hey, that's our job". [26]

The comedian John Oliver pointed out the inaccuracies of the claims made in the film including that sleeping pillows were subjected to 109 different types of regulations. [11] He pointed that some of those regulations were not for sleeping pillows but for breakfast cereals or for air mattress foot-pumps. [37]

Since the referendum, many of the contributors have voiced their concerns in Britain leaving the European Union. One contributor, Kelvin Mackenzie, said shortly after the vote that "Four days later, I don’t feel quite the same. I’ve buyer’s remorse. A sense of be careful what you wish for. To be truthful, I am fearful of what lies ahead [38] ". He commented on 10 May 2023 on GBNews that "This is not the Brexit we signed up for. I feel we are in the worst of both worlds...we voted for something..it's not being delivered". [39] John Mills, in an interview with the New Statesman, believed that “Brexit has been disappointing, quite honestly". [40]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigel Farage</span> British politician and broadcaster (born 1964)

Nigel Paul Farage is a British politician and broadcaster who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Clacton and Leader of Reform UK since 2024, having previously been its leader from 2019 to 2021. He was the leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from 2006 to 2009 and 2010 to 2016. Farage served as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East England from 1999 until the UK's withdrawal from the European Union (EU) in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Hands</span> British politician (born 1965)

Gregory William Hands is a British politician who served as Minister for London and Minister of State for Trade Policy from November 2023 to July 2024. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chelsea and Fulham, previously Hammersmith and Fulham, from 2005 to 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as its Chairman from February to November 2023. Hands has served as Minister of State for Trade Policy under four prime ministers, holding the office on four occasions, and also served as Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth from 2021 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom</span> Criticism/Opposition to the European Union in the United Kingdom

Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom is a continuum of belief ranging from the opposition to certain political policies of the European Union to the complete opposition to the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union. It has been a significant element in the politics of the United Kingdom (UK). A 2009 Eurobarometer survey of EU citizens showed support for membership of the EU was lowest in the United Kingdom, alongside Latvia and Hungary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Kingdom–European Union relations</span> Bilateral relations

Relations between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) are governed, since 1 January 2021, by the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum</span> Referendum on leaving the European Union

The 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, commonly referred to as the EU referendum or the Brexit referendum, was a referendum that took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar under the provisions of the European Union Referendum Act 2015 to ask the electorate whether the country should continue to remain a member of, or leave, the European Union (EU). The result was a vote in favour of leaving the EU, triggering calls to begin the process of the country's withdrawal from the EU commonly termed "Brexit".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brexit</span> The United Kingdoms withdrawal from the European Union

Brexit was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Following a referendum held in the UK on 23 June 2016, Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020. The UK, which joined the EU's precursors the European Communities (EC) on 1 January 1973, is the only member state to have withdrawn from the EU. Following Brexit, EU law and the Court of Justice of the European Union no longer have primacy over British laws. The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 retains relevant EU law as domestic law, which the UK can amend or repeal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vote Leave</span> Campaign for UK withdrawal from the EU

Vote Leave was a campaigning organisation that supported a "Leave" vote in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. On 13 April 2016 it was designated by the Electoral Commission as the official campaign in favour of leaving the European Union in the Referendum.

A number of politicians, public figures, newspapers and magazines, businesses and other organisations endorsed either the United Kingdom remaining in the EU or the United Kingdom leaving the EU during the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campaigning in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum</span> Public outreach by politicians in the lead-up to Brexit

Campaigning in the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum began unofficially on 20 February 2016 when Prime Minister David Cameron formally announced under the terms of the European Union Referendum Act 2015 that a referendum would be held on the issue of the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union. The official campaign period for the 2016 referendum ran from 15 April 2016 until the day of the poll on 23 June 2016.

Issues in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum are the economic, human and political issues that were discussed during the campaign about the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, during the period leading up to the Brexit referendum of 23 June 2016. [Issues that have arisen since then are outside the scope of this article].

International reactions to the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum of 2016 are the reactions to the decision to leave the European Union by the United Kingdom. The main reaction was on global financial markets experiencing extreme volatility.

After the British EU membership referendum held on 23 June 2016, in which a majority voted to leave the European Union, the United Kingdom experienced political and economic upsets, with spillover effects across the rest of the European Union and the wider world. Prime Minister David Cameron, who had campaigned for Remain, announced his resignation on 24 June, triggering a Conservative leadership election, won by Home Secretary Theresa May. Following Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn's loss of a motion of no confidence among the Parliamentary Labour Party, he also faced a leadership challenge, which he won. Nigel Farage stepped down from leadership of the pro-Leave party UKIP in July. After the elected party leader resigned, Farage then became the party's interim leader on 5 October until Paul Nuttall was elected leader on 28 November.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Kingdom invocation of Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union</span> Invocation of the EUs withdrawal process for "Brexit"

On 29 March 2017, the United Kingdom (UK) invoked Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) which began the member state's withdrawal, commonly known as Brexit, from the European Union (EU). In compliance with the TEU, the UK gave formal notice to the European Council of its intention to withdraw from the EU to allow withdrawal negotiations to begin.

The economic effects of Brexit were a major area of debate during and after the referendum on UK membership of the European Union. The majority of economists believe that Brexit has harmed the UK's economy and reduced its real per capita income in the long term, and the referendum itself damaged the economy. It is likely to produce a large decline in immigration from countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) to the UK, and poses challenges for British higher education and academic research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union</span> Bilateral relations

The United Kingdom's post-Brexit relationship with the European Union and its members is governed by the Brexit withdrawal agreement and the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The latter was negotiated in 2020 and has applied since January 2021.

Brexit is the commonly used term for the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020, which resulted from a referendum on 23 June 2016. This article details the mostly critical response to this decision in the visual art, novels, theatre, and film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of Brexit on the European Union</span>

In 2016, the impact of Brexit on the European Union (EU) was expected to result in social and economic changes to the Union, but also longer term political and institutional shifts. The extent of these effects remain somewhat speculative until the precise terms of the United Kingdom's post-Brexit relationship with the EU becomes clear. With an end to British participation in the EU's policies on freedom of movement of goods, persons, services, and capital, and the European Union Customs Union, as well as sharing criminal intelligence and other matters, there is a clear impact with consequences for both institutions.

Since the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum, a number of demonstrations have taken place and organisations formed whose goal has been to oppose, reverse or otherwise impede that decision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Habib</span> British businessman and former politician(born 1965)

Benyamin Naeem Habib is a Pakistani-British politician, who served from 2023 to July 2024 as Co-Deputy Leader of Reform UK, alongside David Bull. He and Bull were removed from their position and replaced by Richard Tice as the new Deputy Leader following the 2024 General Election He was elected as a Brexit Party Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in the 2019 European parliamentary election. He remained in the role until the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potential re-accession of the United Kingdom to the European Union</span>

Following a 2016 referendum, the United Kingdom exited from the European Union at the end of January 2020. Since leaving the EU, numerous polling organisations have conducted surveys to gauge public opinion on rejoining the organisation. The trend of the poll data shows that, over time, support for Brexit has waned, while public opinion in the UK has gradually moved in favour of rejoining the EU.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Haslett, Emma (26 February 2016). "EU referendum: Filmmaker Martin Durkin says "Brexit: The Movie" crowdfunding campaign has hit its £100,000 target". City A.M. City A.M. Limited. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Brexit: The Movie". YouTube . 12 May 2016. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016.
  3. 1 2 "About the Film". Brexit: The Movie. Wag TV. Archived from the original on 16 May 2016.
  4. ↑ Kriss, Sam (12 May 2016). "'Brexit: the Movie' Reveals Why the Upper Classes Are So Excited About the Prospect of Leaving the EU". Vice.
  5. 1 2 Russell, Andy (9 May 2016). "New feature-length documentary film shows why we must vote for Brexit". The Daily Express.
  6. 1 2 Baldwin, Paul (12 May 2016). "Watch: Brexit movie reveals how smug Eurocrats have shot our democracy down in flames". The Daily Express . Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  7. ↑ "Brexit The Movie". Kickstarter. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  8. ↑ "'Brexit film' producer jailed for £500k loan application fraud". BBC News. 6 February 2020.
  9. ↑ Neate, Rupert (2 November 2018). "Brexit: The Movie producer charged with £500,000 fraud". The Guardian.
  10. ↑ Kirk, Tristan (11 March 2019). "Activist behind pro-Brexit movie faces prison after admitting fraud". London Evening Standard.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Brexit the Movie – Full FIlm, 12 May 2016, retrieved 22 February 2023
  12. ↑ Brexit the Movie – Gravy Train (6 of 26), 12 May 2016, retrieved 22 February 2023
  13. ↑ Brexit the Movie – Fight for Freedom (26 of 26), 12 May 2016, retrieved 22 February 2023
  14. ↑ Brexit the Movie – Free Britain versus Regulated Britain (history) (8 of 26), 12 May 2016, retrieved 22 February 2023
  15. ↑ Brexit the Movie - Powerless You (5 of 26), 12 May 2016, retrieved 22 February 2023
  16. ↑ "James Delingpole, Author at the Spectator". 23 May 2024.
  17. 1 2 Brexit the Movie – Full Film – Martin Durkin Crowdfunded Documentary, 13 May 2016, retrieved 17 February 2023
  18. ↑ Brexit the Movie – Full Film, 12 May 2016, retrieved 22 February 2023
  19. 1 2 Brexit: The Movie (12 May 2016). BREXIT THE MOVIE - THE TRUTH ABOUT TRADE DEALS (21 of 26) . Retrieved 31 May 2024– via YouTube.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Brexit the Movie – The Truth About Trade Deals (21 of 26), 12 May 2016, retrieved 29 June 2023
  21. 1 2 Brexit the Movie – The New Industrial Revolution (24 of 26), 12 May 2016, retrieved 15 June 2023
  22. 1 2 3 Brexit the Movie – Fight for Freedom (26 of 26), 12 May 2016, retrieved 15 June 2023
  23. ↑ Brexit: The Movie (Film). 12 May 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  24. 1 2 Bennett, Owen (12 May 2016). "'Brexit – The Movie' Paints a Thatcherite Dream Of Post-EU Britain". The Huffington Post . Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  25. ↑ Brexit: The Movie (12 May 2016). Brexit: The Movie - Premiere Night! . Retrieved 30 May 2024– via YouTube.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 Kriss, Sam (12 May 2016). "'Brexit: the Movie' Reveals Why the Upper Classes Are So Excited About the Prospect of Leaving the EU". Vice. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  27. ↑ Daily Express (12 May 2016). 'Brexit: The Movie' premiere . Retrieved 23 May 2024– via YouTube.
  28. ↑ "Premiere Of Brexit The Movie Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images". www.gettyimages.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  29. ↑ Schul, Chris Bethell, Words by fashion editor Martin (12 May 2016). "All the Looks From the Red Carpet at Last Night's 'Brexit: The Movie' Premiere". Vice. Retrieved 23 May 2024.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. 1 2 Robb, Simon (12 May 2016). "Is this the most underwhelming red carpet event ever?". Metro. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  31. 1 2 "We went to the premiere of 'BREXIT: The Movie'". The Tab. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  32. 1 2 3 4 "'Brexit - The Movie' Paints a Thatcherite Dream Of Post-EU Britain". HuffPost UK. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  33. ↑ "Home". Brexit: The Movie. Wag TV. Archived from the original on 18 July 2016.
  34. ↑ Dunn-McAfee, Nicholas (12 May 2016). "Brexit: The Movie shows the power of simplifying the story". PRWeek.
  35. ↑ Lowe, Josh (12 May 2016). "Brexit: The Movie is a Libertarian's Wet Dream". Newsweek . Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  36. ↑ Theurer, Marcus (12 May 2016). "Brexit - der Film". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German).
  37. ↑ Brexit: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO), 19 June 2016, retrieved 17 February 2023
  38. ↑ McVeigh, Karen; Fishwick, Carmen (27 June 2016). "Kelvin MacKenzie is far from the only one with Brexit buyer's remorse". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  39. ↑ 'This is a Brexit we DIDN'T sign up for!' | Kelvin MacKenzie slams Rishi Sunak's latest betrayal, 10 May 2023, retrieved 15 June 2023
  40. ↑ Haslett, Emma (11 October 2022). ""Brexit has been disappointing": Labour Leave chair John Mills on his regrets". New Statesman. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.