Martin Durkin is far from the stereotypical documentary-maker. He swims against the tide of much of the television industry, in his willingness to stick his neck out and make factual, persuasive films from a rightist perspective. In doing so he remembers that polemic is worthless when it presents the conventional, fashionable view of those at the top of the cultural tree, but essential when it sticks its neck out.
For example, his excellent film ‘Margaret: Death of a Revolutionary‘ (2013, Channel 4) argued that Thatcher was a radical who deployed popular capitalism as a tool for the liberation of working people. Amid the trend for lefty luvvies to sneer at the Iron Lady, Durkin’s case left many of her critics spluttering in its wake.
I’m therefore pleased to see that he is back with a pitch for a new film, Brexit: The Movie, which will argue ‘forcefully and persuasively that it is safer and wiser to live in a country which is free, independent, self-governing, and global’.
This time, he and his colleagues are crowd-funding the project. It’s going well – at the time of writing they’ve raised £92,175 out of the £100,000 required – and there are five days left to secure the remaining £7,825. I’ve just donated and I hope some of you will, too. It would be great if ConHome readers can help ensure there is a hard-hitting documentary to put the Leave case to voters in the run-up to the referendum.