Brexit: The Movie
Directed byMartin Durkin[1]
Written byMartin Durkin
Production
company
Wag TV[1]
Release date
11 May 2016
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'[19]'. 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.[19] 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'.[19] Ruth Lea states simply 'They need us more than we need them[19]'.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".[20] 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[20]".

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".[21] He then proceeds to blow a raspberry along with the reverse v-sign.[21]

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".[21]

Distribution

The film was made available for free online streaming on YouTube and Vimeo on 12 May 2016,[2][22] the day after its release and premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square in London.[23] The film's premiere was organised by Brexit campaign Leave.EU.[5] It was also broken into a twenty six part series published as a YouTube playlist, embedded on the film's official website.[24]

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".[25]

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.[26] 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.[23] German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, criticised the lack of balance in the film, as it did not feature a single pro-European Union viewpoint.[27]

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.[28]

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[29]". 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".[30]

See also

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. 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, retrieved 22 February 2023
  12. ↑ Brexit the Movie – Gravy Train (6 of 26), retrieved 22 February 2023
  13. ↑ Brexit the Movie – Fight for Freedom (26 of 26), retrieved 22 February 2023
  14. ↑ Brexit the Movie – Free Britain versus Regulated Britain (history) (8 of 26), retrieved 22 February 2023
  15. ↑ Brexit the Movie - Powerless You (5 of 26), retrieved 22 February 2023
  16. ↑ https://www.spectator.co.uk/writer/james-delingpole/
  17. 1 2 Brexit the Movie – Full Film – Martin Durkin Crowdfunded Documentary, retrieved 17 February 2023
  18. ↑ Brexit the Movie – Full Film, retrieved 22 February 2023
  19. 1 2 3 4 Brexit the Movie – The Truth About Trade Deals (21 of 26), retrieved 29 June 2023
  20. 1 2 Brexit the Movie – The New Industrial Revolution (24 of 26), retrieved 15 June 2023
  21. 1 2 3 Brexit the Movie – Fight for Freedom (26 of 26), retrieved 15 June 2023
  22. ↑ Brexit: The Movie (Film). 12 May 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  23. 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.
  24. ↑ "Home". Brexit: The Movie. Wag TV. Archived from the original on 18 July 2016.
  25. ↑ Dunn-McAfee, Nicholas (12 May 2016). "Brexit: The Movie shows the power of simplifying the story". PRWeek.
  26. ↑ Lowe, Josh (12 May 2016). "Brexit: The Movie is a Libertarian's Wet Dream". Newsweek. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  27. ↑ Theurer, Marcus (12 May 2016). "Brexit - der Film". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German).
  28. ↑ Brexit: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO), retrieved 17 February 2023
  29. ↑ 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.
  30. ↑ 'This is a Brexit we DIDN'T sign up for!' | Kelvin MacKenzie slams Rishi Sunak's latest betrayal, retrieved 15 June 2023
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