‘The real porn is poverty and inequality’
|Published
Durban24072013 DFF press conference held at Blue Waters hotel.Festival Director Peter Machen.Picture:Marilyn Bernard Durban24072013 DFF press conference held at Blue Waters hotel.Festival Director Peter Machen.Picture:Marilyn Bernard
Durban - Unable to contain his frustration when discussing the banned movie Of Good Report, International Film Festival manager Peter Machen broke down in tears at a Film and Publication Board workshop in Durban, on Wednesday.
“This is something that breaks my heart. The real pornography in our society is poverty and inequality,” said Machen, responding to a statement by the board saying the film was child pornography.
“I really care about this country and I live among so many people who are so f***ed up and nothing is being done to help them and all we can do is care about this,” he said.
Machen then apologised and left to loud applause from the audience, returning a few minutes later.
Of Good Report was scheduled to open the festival, but was refused classification after a scene depicting a teacher engaging in oral sex with his Grade 9 pupil caused the classifying panel to red-flag the film.
The board held the workshop to inform film-makers about how it classifies films, and touched on the issue of child pornography and Of Good Report.
Board spokesman Prince Mlimandlela Ndamase said the board supported the message which the film “attempts to make”.
But its guidelines indicated child pornography was regarded as being any picture of a real or imaginary person under 18, or represented as being under the age of 18, engaged in any form of sexual activity.
The board’s acting chief operations officer, Sipho Risiba, said their classification guidelines were online with the Film and Publications Act.
“Now that the subject is a matter of appeal, we will continue to follow the letter of the law,” said Risiba.
Machen filed an appeal on the decision to not classify the film. The appeals hearing was scheduled to take place this weekend.
Ndamase said the appeals board, chaired by acting High Court Judge Karthy Govender, would, hopefully, announce its decision next week.
Of Good Report’s producer, Michael Auret, said the film had to be viewed in context and artistic merit considered.
“What they are saying is incorrect. Case law specifically says they have to determine whether the film is primarily designed to arouse people or is designed to do something else,” said Auret. “We will have to go back to the Constitutional Court to amend the law.”
The Mercury