© Étienne Godiard

Director, writer, and producer Nina Kojima is a veteran journalist with over 22 years of experience and a 10 Downing street correspondent. The filmmaker is preparing to launch her new Brexit documentary, 'Brexit Through the Non-political Glass' this spring to tackle the big topics of the past 4 years. She has been at the centre of the Brexit debate, which she thinks started more than 200 years ago, when Britain was fed up with the constant wars and interferences with Europe and started building its own Empire outside, and most importantly far away from Europe.

And because of its maritime position and most likely, fewer language barriers, the British Empire accumulated almost a fourth of the Earth’s land before the 1920s when the Irish civil war begun. 

Fast forward to Brexit, which has clearly been one of the most dramatic times in usually settled and rather diplomatic British politics. It took the country 3 general elections in 4 years.

Partisan media team / © Partisan Media

Usually the country votes once every 5 years, but so far, 3 prime ministers have endured the Brexit drama since 2016’s referendum, not to mention all the consequences which have contributed to the reduction in sterling. Uncertainty on international markets and most likely in the foreseeable future is also paving the way for a potential independence referendum in Scotland.

The negotiating drama, which still continued up until December, finally finished on Christmas Eve, giving people on the Continent as well as in the UK the experience of at least a bit of a Christmas Miracle - considering the gloomy circumstances and situation with the COVID pandemic, and the problems around the Brexit deal.

What a relief, some might think. But the worst may yet still be to come for many, as uncertainty to some extent is not over yet. Brexit consequences could be much harder for the British than for the citizens of the remaining 27 countries. These are some of the few observations from the experts, academics, constitutional experts who witnessed events unfolding during a dramatic period in December - with the filming of a brand new feature documentary film on Brexit to uncover the true story.

Writer/Director & Producer Nina Kojima, cinematographer Malcolm Mclean © Partisan Media

Nina Kojima believes now is the time for reflection and for people to better understand Brexit. Her new documentary film will offer a different view on Brexit. Away from populists, politicians, and propagandists, her documentary will aim to offer a wide spectrum of observation from 8 internally renowned scholars - revealing that Brexit is actually a social phenomenon, which is not at all unique nor British made.

Back in 2016 and at the same time when the Brexit debate was boiling in the political and social circles across Britain on the other side of Atlantic, their version of Brexit was in preparation and indeed it went to the same kind of reaction of the societies. The Americans elected Donald Trump, which was to some people hard to predict and to some, on the other hand, hard to digest. Nina Kojima is challenging her speakers for more examples.

Amongst them is Vernon Bogdanor, author of two books on Brexit and once tutor of the former Prime Minister, David Cameron. He reminds us about the dishonesty of campaign leaders before the referendum in 2016, when some of the Brexiteers were claiming that Turkey would soon be able to enter the EU and that Britain couldn’t veto Turkey’s entrance, which in fact the UK could and therefore the 80 million Turks would be able to come to Britain, another absurdity of the campaign rhetoric. So it is fair to say there were false claims on both sides. Referendums are not University seminars, they never will be. But the issue of immigration was highlighting the fact that Britain had lost its sovereignty.

Anand Menon from the organisation UK in a Changing Europe pointed out that Brexit is in part a manifestation of a trend that is global. It is dissatisfaction with the status quo, creating a broad and slightly weird cross-class alliance; the vote against that status quo. We can see the elements of that in the vote in the United States.

Anand Menon, Professor & Director of UK in a Changing Europe / © Partisan Media 

Tim Bale from Queen Mary University of London described the fact, that Brexit suddenly presented people with a chance to give the government a day of reckoning. And not just the government, but the elite, the political class. And that’s not the opportunity that comes along very often. Bale in his remarks considered that the referendum in some ways allowed people “to shove two fingers up to the government” by the people who they felt sold them down the river and betrayed them for so long.

Jill Rutter from the Institute of government reflects that down the line we will see whether people who supported Leave will feel the promises that the Leave side made, having suggested that the UK would be getting the close relationship with the EU, and that it would be the easiest trade deal in history. Thus far, that’s not proven to be the case as we have seen.

Brexit is remaining a hard topic of discussion for the politicians as the continuation of constant debates and deal makings continues to have ramifications. And for audiences to be fed up of Brexit rather than with something more severe such as the current world crisis, speaks volumes.

Kojima’s new Brexit documentary is set for release later in 2021 through Partisan Media.