Brexit Tale Warms The Cockles In Germany

Jens Meurer's quirky portrayal of a Norfolk seaside town is a surprise hit with viewers struggling to understand Britain's departure from the EU

- Kate Connolly

A German film director's whimsical and heartfelt portrait of the English seaside resort of Cromer has become an unexpected hit among audiences and critics in his home country, sparking an interest in the town on the north Norfolk coast.

Seaside Special follows the town as it prepares for its annual end-of-pier variety show - a burlesque mix of song and dance, standup comedy and slapstick performed twice a day for three months - in the summer of 2019, set against the tumultuous backdrop of clashing views within the community over Brexit.

The film's director, Jens Meurer, said that in Cromer he had discovered a "very filmic microcosm" of Brexit Britain. "It was a great relief to discover that despite such politically charged times, Britain having slammed the door on the EU so loudly, a quintessential Britain that we love that is decent and funny, eccentric and compassionate, still exists," he said.