Banned then unbanned, the film Of Good Report may be banned again soon, it emerged last night. The film, labelled pornography by the Film and Publication Board, will have a limited release on the commercial circuit this week.
But its unbanning might be short. The board would contest Saturday’s unbanning by the separate Appeals Tribunal, its spokesperson Prince Ndamase said on Sunday
The film, about a love affair between a teacher and a 16-year-old pupil, was eventually screened on the final day of the 34th Durban International Film Festival on Sunday to a sold-out audience.
Another victory was when Jahmil XT Qubeka, the writer and director, was named as the first recipient of a new award for artistic bravery which festival manager Peter Machen introduced at Saturday’s festival awards ceremony.
Addressing the audience at the screening, Qubeka said he was humbled and honoured by the award but referred to the film’s unbanning as “a bitter-sweet and slightly hollow” victory.
The film was not screened in any of its allocated slots as a result of the refusal for classification and so could not be in competition.
The festival acknowledged the film’s achievements in stimulating worldwide debate and highlighting important issues in South African society.
Afterwards Qubeka told The Mercury that he was shocked and disappointed that the controversy had even arisen.
“I hope it is a call to arms for the public to demand more transparency,” he said, referring to censorship.
“The most important thing is that the public’s eyes have been opened,” he added, pointing out that, on the plus side, he could not have bought the publicity the controversy had created.
A media frenzy erupted when the board banned the film, the third feature by Qubeka, which had been scheduled for its world premiére by opening the festival on July 18.
After one of the film’s producers, Michael Auret, a lawyer, lodged an appeal against the board’s ruling, the Appeals Tribunal reversed the ban and the film was approved with a 16 age restriction.
Interest sparked by the banning led to Of Good Report being selected for screening at the Toronto Film Festival in September.
And, according to Auret, it has also been snapped up for six other prominent film festivals, where it will be shown in December and January.
Ndamase said that the board stood by its decision that Of Good Report contained child pornography.
He told The Mercury the board would consider the appeal committee’s reasons for unbanning the film but that these reasons were only likely to be tabled by the end of next month.
* Machen was also recognised at the awards ceremony, receiving a prize for outstanding work during the festival and acknowledging his contribution to the festival as a whole.
Professor Cheryl Potgieter, the deputy vice-chancellor of humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, which houses the Centre for Creative Arts, organiser of the annual film festival, presented Machen with the accolade.
At Saturday’s ceremony, the award for best feature, and a R50 000 prize, went to The Land of Hope by Japan’s Sion Sono. - The Mercury