all parties agreed on the film’s artistic merit. The board has deferred its decision on the film until Monday.
The hearing took place at the behest of Home Affairs Minister Stoffel Botha who, using his powers under the Publications Act, called for a review of the publications committee’s decision last year to pass the film with two cuts.
Johann van der Westhuizen, of the directorate of publications, was called to put forward possible objections to the film.
When the attorney for Ster-Kinekor, Lauren Jacobson, said she also wished to challenge the existing cuts, the chair of the appeal board, Professor Cobus van Rooyen, declined to hear her argument.
Danie Olwage, appearing for the publications committee, agreed with Jacobson and Van der Westhuizen that the film, albeit “powerful and disturbing”, was in no way designed to awaken the bizarre sadomasochistic tendencies in any reasonable adult.– Charlotte Bauer and Jeff Zerbst
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail newspaper