The thick blue line

Showtime examines attitudes to arts censorship in new millennium European Malta.

Censorship, and particularly censorship of the arts, is always going to be a contentious subject in Malta and Gozo. Many people still remember the time when even the adverts for ladies underwear in women's magazines, were subjected to mutilation by censors, carefully cutting out or obscuring with a black magic marker, the naughty bits. Risible? Yes, of course, but it happened.

Nowadays our censors are, it seems, more in touch with the world as we find it in the year 2005. However, as we discovered, when we elicited the views of a number of prominent people in the arts field, the subject of censorship still raises temperatures and hackles across the board.

Showtime sought the views of prominent figures in cinema, theatre, dance, broadcasting, education, the Church and also some keen theatre and cinemagoers.

We asked: Do you agree that censorship is still necessary in Malta in theatre or in film etc...

Among the people Showtime asked for an opinion was Charles Buttigieg, the PRO at the Archbishop's Curia. Predictably, his views differed from those of the vast majority of people who responded. Mr Buttigieg stated: "Yes, (censorship is still necessary in Malta) because the agents of law have as their sacred duty the protection of the common good, particularly as it pertains to the young and the vulnerable".

Broadcaster Joyce Guillaumier took the opposite view: "No, not a censorship board in present-day Malta, but I do agree with an age group classification guide".

Actress and MTA executive Coryse Borg supported a form of the classification method: "I think branding films and plays PG or over 16 and so on, makes sense if the content is unsuitable for children".

Movie enthusiast Paula Fleri Soler made a good point: "With so much stuff easily available on the internet, I feel censorship is almost redundant".

The availability of almost anything over the world wide web also influenced actress Stephanie Farrugia's reply: "I think in the age of internet, censorship is obsolete".

Poet, theatre director, writer and educator Mario Azzopardi had very strong views on the subject: "The longer we accept censorship, the more we continue to testify to our national puerility".

Choreographer and dancer Felix Busuttil took some flak in the press over the poster for his recent dance spectacular Strait Street. His views on censorship were therefore fairly predictable: "Censorship - the word in itself is a horrendous word, reminiscent of days when ideologies and creeds were imposed on entire nations".

Ardent theatregoer Adrian Wirth was also adamantly anti-censorship: "Censorship historically allows a minority of allegedly holier than thou individuals to dictate what is or is not acceptable in society".

However, another film and theatre buff, John Lejman was in favour of the censor: "It gives the viewing public some idea of the content and then allows an informed choice".

Actor Godwin Scerri's answer was short and to the point: "Education is the best form of censorship".

The chairman of the St James Centre for Creativity Michael Fenech is solidly behind the classification option: "What is necessary is a classification guide not censorship". A view also shared by actor Jes Camilleri: "As long as the medium is not breaking the law (e.g.: child pornography) I favour classification over censorship".

Charles Pace of the film distributors KRS was largely in agreement: "We do not see why Malta should do away with censorship completely. We are however of the opinion that it should be solely in the form of a broader classification for those who wish to observe it".

Actress Isabel Ripard swam against the tide rather by supporting censorship: "Audiences should be prepared for what they are going to see, especially children and young adults".

Actor and director Steve Casalletto was all for using the age classification method and he also made the following point: "Censorship (age ratings) is only necessary for original Maltese works, otherwise we can use the existing European classifications".

Media mover and shaker Alan Meadows was of the opinion that: "Censorship is only required to ensure that a particular art form is not breaking the laws of the land and/or that it does not encourage others to break said law".

Musician, deejay, promoter and broadcaster Gianni Zammit touched on enforcement: "If a movie at the cinema is classified over 16 - make sure no under 16s get in there".

So now you know, but when oh when can we expect classification to be introduced as the sole means of censorship here in Malta? This year, next year, sometime... never?

Дата добавления: 2015-10-26