From: depeche@cs.mcgill.ca (Acme Instant Dehydrated Boulder Kit)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: IPS:ZIMBABWE: FILM CENSORSHIP, NO SEX PLEASE WE'RE ZIMBABWEAN
Date: 17 Dec 92 21:25:02 GMT
Organization: MADD - Dyslexics against Mad Mothers

In article <Bz6sxo.2tp@ddsw1.mcs.com> barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart) writes:
>
>Title: ZIMBABWE: FILM CENSORSHIP, NO SEX PLEASE WE'RE ZIMBABWEAN
>
>according to the zimbabwe's censorship and entertainment
>control act -- a hangover from the days of pre-independence
>minority rule -- the board shall not approve any film or film
>advertisement which in its opinion, depicts any matter that is
>indecent, obscene or offensive or harmful to public morals.

fascinating stuff - I lived in Zimbabwe for a year, and was constantly
frustrated by the zimbabwe board of film censor's decisions...

>films potraying explicit sex scenes or nudity, excessive
>violence, homosexuality and lesbianism are also not acceptable in
>zimbabwe, says peter sheren, chair of the censors board.

One thing which amazes me is that "FRANKIE AND JOHNNY" which does
have scenes depicting homosexuality (granted, they're not explicit),
were not cut out of the movie at all. The final scene, where you see
happy couples in bed together, including the gay couple, was left in.

And about 70% of the audience in the Harare movie theater
(7-arts in Avondale, in case you are wondering) broke out in hysterical
laughter at the very *idea* of two men in bed together...

Obviously, it is possible to lead a very sheltered life there, and I wonder
how large a part the Zimbabwe film censors play in this...

>but to the layman, some of its decisions seem a little
>strange. recently, after congratulating itself that it deemed only
>a few minutes of the torid hollywood blockbuster 'basic instinct'
>offensive -- and allowing rampant displays of bare buttocks and
>breast -- the cuts that were then made appeared all the more
>inexplicable.

The thing is, there are HUMANS who have to go through the movie making all
the cuts, and when it is a move RIDDLED with material which could be deemed
"offensive", after a while the censors just get tired with it and say
"screw it - let it be"... An example of this was the version of 48 hours
which was available in video shops - every swear is blooped out of the
movie for the first hour, but after that, they don't bloop out anything!!

>''from the excisions required by the board, it is apparent
>that females getting gratification from the sexual act is
>unacceptable. women just can't get pleasure from sex as far as the
>board is concerned'', waters alled
>(story received incomplete)

fascinating story - when you get the rest of it, please post it!

Anyway, there are *lots* of double standards when it comes to zimbabwe laws
regarding sexual issues, so I'm never surprised by what was just posted
here.

-- 
| Alan Ezust    depeche@cs.mcgill.ca   McGill University Computer Science    |
|------------------------Montreal, Quebec, Canada (?)------------------------|
|  I'm not much of a night person. I'm *definitely* not a morning person.    |
|  I'm not really an afternoon person either. Does this mean I'm a nobody?   |