"Rule, Britannia"

4 May 2026

60s

Unruly Britannia.

Choose Love was founded in 2015 to address the plight of refugees around the world. In many of the countries in which they operate, the charity does so in an environment that has been made deliberately hostile by politicians on both sides of the aisle, keen to win cheap votes from bigots, or because they equate compassion with weakness.

Max Fisher's film, made to support the charity, tackles the prejudice surrounding the issue of refugees with admirable frankness.

As the film is still accumulating garlands at festivals around the world, we are currently unable to show it to you in full, however the trailer that's featured here offers a considerable idea of its tone and its content.

'Rule Britannia' examines the topic that has come to be known as the 'small boats' from the perspective of a pair of wannabe vigilantes who have decided to patrol the English Channel in their own dinghy in an absurd effort to prevent what they see as an invasion by economic migrants intent on milking the UK's benefit system. With them is a child - the son of one - and this impressionable lad becomes a cipher for the tainted innocence of those who go along with the toxic narrative that has now gripped the UK for nearly two decades.

The film was made in conditions that, to the extent allowed by safety regulations, reflect the hazards faced by those who embark on this immensely dangerous journey, and Fisher makes use of this jeopardy to convey the reality of bobbing about in an inadequate vessel in treacherous waters. The sense of peril is never far from the surface, and neither are the protagonists as fate inevitably pushes them towards the experience of their prey.

The inevitability of the unfolding narrative doesn't diminish its power, and there are sufficient variations within the expected plot to offer a surprise or two, including an ending that reminds us that this, at present, is a problem which we have been unable to solve.

A series of recent events combined with the fascistic warblings of Reform UK and other far-right parties offer a stark reminder of the importance of Choose Love's mission, and reveals that Max Fisher's take on the issue certainly cannot be accused of being far-fetched.

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