Postcards from the 48%
★★★★ "The film never finds one positive thing about Brexit, but then neither has the UK government..." - Shadows On The Wall
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★★★★ "A deeply considered film that presents a case for questioning Brexit and the way in which it is being handled..." - Film Review
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★★★★ "Wilkinson’s thoughtful, lucid documentary unashamedly gives voice to the 'losers' in a poll that leaves the country facing its greatest challenge since the Second World War..." - Radio Times
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★★★★ "The film never finds one positive thing about Brexit, but then neither has the UK government..." - Shadows On The Wall ┃ ★★★★ "A deeply considered film that presents a case for questioning Brexit and the way in which it is being handled..." - Film Review ┃ ★★★★ "Wilkinson’s thoughtful, lucid documentary unashamedly gives voice to the 'losers' in a poll that leaves the country facing its greatest challenge since the Second World War..." - Radio Times ┃
On the 23rd June 2016, the UK voted by 52% to 48% to leave the European Union.
Despite both sides having been widely accused of relying on information ranging from the crudely distorted to the unashamed lie, neither side presented any of the precise information that should have been made available and thoroughly explored when addressing so momentous a choice for the future of the United Kingdom. Such irresponsibility meant that most voters were left to decide on an issue of colossal complexity based on nothing more incisive than personal emotion or partially informed preference, without the slightest indications of any actual consequences that such a choice was likely to result in.
ABOUT
A documentary film made by and featuring those who voted Remain, the 48%, to show the other 27 EU Member States that it was far from a landslide victory and just why we are fighting to stay part of the EU.
Regardless of the extreme modesty of a Leavers victory, every day has subsequently pressed inflexibly and uninclusively forward towards the precipice of EU departure, in spite of a growing catalogue of unanswered questions, economic uncertainties and deeply negative warnings that have come to light in its wake.
In a landscape where the only voice to be heard comes from those ignoring completely the views of nearly half the electorate in their headlong rush to Leave - come what may, this film is an attempt to inject facts and points of view from Remainers into the process in order to redress the partiality demonstrated by such an inappropriate imbalance.
When David Nicholas Wilkinson started working on the film in 2016, many people advised him to make a ‘Soft Brexit’ film, not a ‘Stop Brexit’ one.
By the time he finished shooting his last scenes as late as May 2018 however, the ‘Stop Brexit’ message did not seem quite so fanciful.
There was just one rule on the film: everyone involved in the production had to have voted Remain.
Whether people are in agreement with the message of this film or not, it speaks for 16 million people (and counting) who live in the UK. That’s more than the population of Belgium or Greece or eighteen of the other EU member states. Their voice, their preference, their mandate deserves to be heard.
CONTRIBUTORS
(in alphabetical order)
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Baroness Bakewell is an English journalist, television presenter, author, playwright and Labour Party peer. Baroness Bakewell is President of Birbeck University London. joanbakewell.com
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Catharine Bearder is a Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for South East England. She has been active in Liberal Party politics for over 20 years.
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Sir Vince Cable is the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party and MP for Twickenham and Teddington. He was Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills from 2010 to 2015. vincecable.org
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Ruth Cadbury is the Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth. She won the seat in 2015 with a 465 majority. In the 2017 Election her seat was on the Tories top 5 seats to win. She won her seat back with a majority of over 12,000. ruthcadbury.org
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Alastair Campbell is a writer, strategist campaigner, best known for his work as Tony Blair’s spokesman and campaign director (1994-97). He was then the Downing Street press secretary from 1997 until 2000. He was Director of Communications and spokesman for the Labour Party from 2000 until 2003. alastaircampbell.org
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Doctor Rachel Clarke is a palliative care doctor, NHS campaigner, author and journalist. doctoroxford.com/about
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Nick Clegg is a British politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2010 to 2015. He was Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007 until 2015. He served as an MP for Sheffield Hallam from 2005 until 2017.
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Mark Constantine OBE is a herbal trichologist who is co-founder of the British cosmetics retailer LUSH with annual revenues approaching £300 million per year. lush.com/uk/en
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Sir Andrew Cook CBE is a British industrialist, philanthropist, historian and author. He is the owner and Chairman of William Cook Holdings one of Europe's leading steel and engineering groups. He is a former funder of the Conservative Party. linkedin.com/in/andrew-cook-cbe
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Mark Durkan was until 2017 the SDLP MP for Derry. He was the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2001 to 2002. He was the leader of the SDLP from 2001 until 2010. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Durkan
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Bob Geldof KBE is an Irish singer-songwriter, TV producer, author, political activist and sometime actor.
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A. C. Grayling, is a British philosopher and author. He is the founder and has become the first master of New College of the Humanities in London.
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Bonnie Greer OBE is an American-British playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster, who has lived in the UK since 1986. twitter.com/Bonn1eGreer
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Will Hutton is a political economist, academic administrator, and journalist. He is currently Principal of Hartford College, Oxford. theguardian.com/profile/willhutton
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Rachel Johnson is an editor, journalist, television presenter and author. twitter.com/RachelSJohnson
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Matt Kelly is the Chief Content Officer at Archant and the founder and editor of The New European, the UK’s newest national newspaper. magculture.com/blogs/journal/matt-kelly-new-european
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Baroness Kennedy QC, FRSA, is a barrister, broadcaster and Labour member of the House of Lords. helenakennedy.co.uk/
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Miriam Margolyes is a British-Australian actress, voice-over artist and documentary presenter. miriammargolyes.com
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Raymond McCord is a victim’s rights campaigner from Norther Ireland. McCord became involved in the issue of victims’ rights after his son, Raymond McCord, Jr., was killed by the loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1997. He is an outspoken critic of the UVF. twitter.com/raymondmccord
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Ian McEwan CBE, FRSA, FRSL, is a bestselling award-winning author and successful screenwriter. ianmcewan.com
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Henry Porter is an English author and journalist. He is a writer of thrillers and was, until 2014, a regular columnist for The Observer. He is also the British editor of Vanity Fair. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Porter
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Lesley Riddoch is a British radio broadcaster and journalist. During the 1990s, she was a contributing editor of the Sunday Herald and an assistant editor of The Scotsman. Since 2004, she has run her own independent radio and podcast company, Feisty Ltd. www.lesleyriddoch.com
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Baroness Wheatcroft is a British journalist and Conservative Party Peer. She was editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal, editor of the Sunday Telegraph, city editor of The Times and deputy city editor of the Daily Mail. members.parliament.uk
As well as the well-known people the film features ordinary people who have been galvanised to fight for what they believe in, which is staying part of the EU.
Those included in this film are Peter French, Madeleina Kay, Diane Datson, Paul Cartwright, Sue Wilson, Oliver Marshall, Jon Danzig, Nina de Ayala Parker, Femi Oluwole, Steve Bray and so many more. These are just some of the millions who make up – the 48%.
LOCATIONS
Filmed all over the UK: London, Dover, Folkestone, St Margaret’s Bay, Poole, Bath, Bristol, Ebbw Vale, Criccieth, Stoke on Trent, Norwich, Sheffield, Manchester, Fife, Omagh, Derry, Pettigo (Northern Ireland), Pettigo (the Republic of Ireland), Galway and places in-between.
MEDIA & PRESS REVIEWS
★★★★
"A deeply considered film that presents a case for questioning Brexit and the way in which it is being handled…..two moments stand out….featuring Campbell, is a dictum to the effect that we have to talk sense in order to make people see sense. That phrase sums up perfectly the modus operandi of Wilkinson’s film."
- Mansel Stimpson
★★★★
"Dirty Gem… Highly insightful documentary provides detailed and finely corroborated arguments as to why Brexit is nothing short of a disaster, and it also conveys a necessary message of blue hope… The helmer is often in front of the camera, making this an intimate and conversational piece of film-making."
- Victor Fraga
★★★
"In calm, vicarly manner, David Wilkinson gathers and binds a pretty much unarguable case for persisting in trying to overturn Brexit... Wilkinson at least has the decency, unlike the Leave campaign, not to pretend that he has all the solutions." - Phil Hoad
The Guardian
★★★
"Ian McEwan’s knowing quip about Remainers being "hobbled by a fatal attraction to rational argument" holds equally true for Wilkinson’s thoughtful, respectful, polite film. This is a valuable memorial for future generations, undoubtedly."
★★★★
"Wilkinson’s thoughtful, lucid documentary unashamedly gives voice to the ‘losers’ in a poll that leaves the country facing its greatest challenge since the Second World War……maybe a diligent documentary encouraging a pause for (second) thought is still worthwhile considering what’s at stake."
- Jeremy Aspinall
★★★★
"The film never finds one positive thing about Brexit, but then neither has the UK government... Carefully avoiding sensationalism, this is an honest, articulate attempt to find the facts in a situation that seems inexplicable... skillfully edits together comments by campaigners, celebrities and people on the streets."
- Rich Cline
★★★
"The film is considered and thoughtful, and ends with a plea for a genuine democratic power and a popular veto in the final Brexit deal..." - Kevin Maher
The Times
"Well worth a watch: a really interesting, sober and levelheaded view on the referendum vote..."
BBC Radio Scotland
BEHIND THE CAMERA
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David Nicholas Wilkinson was the director, producer, co-writer and presenter of THE FIRST FILM and executive producer of HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD and ALL THE WILD HORSES. He has produced over 20 documentaries and distributed a number of others including Alex Gibney’s ZERO DAYS. He began as an actor in 1970, but in 1982, pioneered the Reverse Co-Production with the BBC for TO THE LIGHTHOUSE and effectively became the first true independent producer to work with the Corporation. From 1998-2016, he distributed British & Irish films only in the cinema, on DVD, etc.
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Jon Walker has edited dozens of documentaries across a wide range of subjects and recent projects include HORIZON: GOODBYE CASSINI - HELLO SATURN, CHINA: BETWEEN CLOUDS AND DREAMS (a five part series) and the BAFTA nominated BAKA - A CRY FROM THE RAINFOREST.
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Michael Bradsell has edited some of Britain’s most successful films. In 2017 the BFI’s Sight & Sound produced a Top 50 of the greatest feature documentaries of all time. Michael Bradsell is the only editor to have two films on that list – THE WAR GAME and CULLODEN. Other films include SCUM, WILDE, THAT’LL BE THE DAY, THE BOYFRIEND, THE DEVILS, WOMEN IN LOVE, LOCAL HERO, JABBERWOCKY, HENRY V. He came out of retirement just to work on this film.
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Don McVey was the DOP on Wilkinson’s directorial debut, THE FIRST FILM. He also directed his own short film, THE PRICE OF LOVE, which Wilkinson produced. This screened on the Independent and Telegraph websites and on RT. It was nominated for the Liberty Human Rights Award.
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Emlyn Price is a former actor and writer who has worked with David Nicholas Wilkinson over the last 25 years, writing a number of screenplays, educational films, corporate productions, documentaries and books.
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Bill Lawrence worked with David Nicholas Wilkinson on THE FIRST FILM. He was the Head of Film at the National Media Museum in Bradford. He set up the Braford International Film Festival, Bite the Mango and the Bradford Amimation Festival. He sat on the board of both Screen Yorkshire and Creative England.
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Christopher Barnett has composed scores for independent films and documentaries which have broadcast on BBC, Film4, Channel 4, ITV, SKY and Horror Channel. Many have been nominated/awarded at prestigious international film festivals, the BAFTA nominated A COCK & BULL STORY, a notable example. He has worked previously with David Nicholas Wilkinson on the documentaries, ALL THE WILD HORSES and THE FIRST FILM, for which he was awarded Best Original Score for a Documentary in the TMT Media Awards 2015.
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