70K
Dir Jamie Howarth / 2006 / Australia
This 47min DVD was banned on June 2nd 2006. The applicant was The Kingdom of Sad Machines.
The DVD features the work of the infamous Melbourne graffiti crew 70k.
The Classification Board Annual Report 2005-2006 explains the reasons for the ban.
The Classification Board also refused classification for the film, 70K, because it deals with crime (the defacement of public property) in such a way that it offends against the standards of propriety generally acceptable to reasonable adults. The film features documentary footage of people, with masks, disguises or their faces blurred out, vandalising passenger trains and applying graffiti to walls in Australian cities, including Brisbane and Melbourne. The film is edited to rock music and does not feature commentary, interpretation, justification or explanation. In the Board’s majority view, the film glamourises and attempts to legitimise what are criminal acts committed in Australia and which have a negative impact on Australia and the Australian people.
***
Four months earlier the Review Board had banned Mark Ecko's graffiti game Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure.
On March 9th 2007 the Classification Board passed the similarly themed documentary JISOE with an MA15+ (Strong themes, Strong coarse language, Strong drug use and references) rating.
***
Graffiti 'artist' freed Herald Sun 13.03.07
A MEMBER of the notorious "Stan and Bonez" graffiti crew has escaped conviction, despite admitting to a wave of attacks across Melbourne that caused more than $30,000 damage.
Noam Jason Shoan, 26, pleaded guilty to vandalising 72 train carriages, a tram, rail bridge, overpass and building during a four-year wave of attacks across the city.
But the graffiti pest walked from court without conviction yesterday after his lawyer convinced a magistrate a criminal conviction would be detrimental to his client's work as a graphic designer.
Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard Shoan was a member of a crew dubbed "70K", which stood for '70s Kids, whose work became so widespread between 2001 and 2005 they were targeted by police.
The fugitive crew splashed the city with the prolific "Bonez" and "Stan" tags, along with "Renks", during a four-year spree.
The attacks occurred throughout Melbourne, including Frankston, Belgrave and Clifton Hill, extending to the country town of Traralgon.
Searches at three homes linked to Shoan uncovered 46 spray cans, an art portfolio containing Renks' work and a CD showing pictures and videos of the graffiti, the court heard.
Shoan, of Mt Eliza, pleaded guilty to 42 counts of criminal damage. Lawyer John Bushby said his client had participated in the wave of attacks after falling in with the wrong crowd.
Magistrate Sarah Dawes said that she accepted Shoan was "a hard-working young man who pulls his weight at work and at home".
". . . You are a talented artist and I accept you are genuine in your remorse," she said.
Ms Dawes said that recording a conviction against Shoan would have jeopardised his work opportunities overseas.
"I am prepared to give you this opportunity," Ms Dawes told Shoan.
Shoan was ordered to pay total restitution of $30,299.17 to V/Line, Yarra Trams and Connex, and perform 250 hours of community service.
***
The SA Attorney-General Michael Atkinson actually put the issue of graffiti on the table at the 2005-2006 Standing Committee of Attorneys General Censorship meetings. His proposal was to make it even easier to ban films, games, and books that feature graffiti. Luckily this was voted down at the 2006-2007 meetings.
Annual Report to the Council of Australian
Governments 2005-06
Standing Committee of Attorneys General (Censorship)
"In response to a request from the South Australian Attorney-General a proposal to lower the threshold of the RC guidelines to deal with graffiti crime, was added to the agenda."
Annual Report to the Council of Australian
Governments 2006-07
Standing Committee of Attorneys General (Censorship)
" Ministers in relation to RC
Guidelines and Matters of Crime:
Graffiti expressed their views on a
proposal to expand the current guidelines so that matters portraying
crime in a favorable light would be refused classification, with a
majority expressing opposition to the proposal. Ministers agreed to
remove this item from the agenda.
***
70K was due to screen at the 8th Melbourne Underground Film Festival on September 23rd 2007.
Melbourne Underground Film Festival 8
Program Notes
70K (2006)
Australia
Dir: Jamie Howarth
[Dur: 46 mins]
The work of 70K can be regularly seen sprayed on
trains and other parts of public transport systems across the country. I had to
walk underneath a 70K adorned bridge to get here. But besides aerosol cans, 70K
have also been aiming cameras at their walls and the result is essentially a
clip collection culled from more than a few years of regularly going on and off
the rails. While the quality of a lot of the footage is understandably rough at
best, there’s not a lot to learn about the artists at work in 70K other than
their ability to digitally mask any recognizable presence and their choice in
music that includes Thin Lizzy, Dolly Parton and the obvious Ozzy Osbourne
track, “Crazy Train”. At 26 minutes there’s 30 seconds of narration but
other than an even shorter snatch of a train Left Ear worker reporting graffiti
over a radio, the only brief footage towards the end demonstrates that, “there
is more to life than just vandalism”, like vomiting, staggering and falling
down. Recommended for gunzels, potential gunzels and those who just can’t get
enough graffiti.
tullski@gmail.com
www.thekingdomofsadmachines.com
6pm Sun 23 Sept 2007
LOOP
23 Meyers Place
Melbourne
VIC 3000
***
It was scrapped after the OFLC's Amy Wooding refused to grant it, and six other features film festival exemptions. This is not the first time that MUFF had ran into problems with the censors. In 2004 the OFLC demanded that The Toolbox Murders (1978), Wife to be Sacrificed, and Za Ginipiggu 1 and 2 be pulled from the festival.
The Melbourne Underground Film Festival issued the following press release on September 20th 2007.
MUFF 8 films banned!
September 20th 2007
The Following films have been banned from the OFLC:
70k
Schulmädchen-Report: Was Eltern nicht für möglich halten (aka The Schoolgirl
Report)
Sex Wish
The Farmer's Daughter
Ashley & Kisha: Finding the Right Fit
Whore
60 Second Relief
We will replacing them with other films from the MUFF program.
This Sunday 70k will be replaced with a second screening of Streetsweeper… a good MUFF Neu that we can play. Whore and 60 Second Relief are withdrawn and nothing will fill their place. The Other films will be replaced. More details on Monday.
Will the media even cover this? Do people care about censorship in this country?
Letter to OFLC
Here is a copy of a letter sent to our OFLC contact Amy Wooding. Any response we will share with our MUFF audience:
Hi Amy, I thought I'd write to you about this year's decision.
So the films I cannot play at MUFF 8 are the following:
70k, Schulmädchen-Report: Was Eltern nicht für möglich halten (aka The Schoolgirl Report), Sex Wish, The Farmer's Daughter, Ashley & Kisha: Finding the Right Fit, Whore and 60 Second Relief
Is this correct?
I will comply and withdraw them from screenings and replace them with films you have granted permission for me to play (like Moonlight and Magic, Left Ear, etc).
A few small questions, you might be able to answer or maybe the OFLC director can answer them (If you have his email I'll cc this to him):
Why is pornography of the most gross and offensive nature (like shitting and pissing films) available for sale in most Adult bookshops in Victoria?
Also: Are not X rated films only supposed to be available in Canberra but for sale in 90% of Adult shops in Vic and NSW and in other states?
Why is MUFF referred to the justice department for wishing to screen a couple of classy or forgotten pieces of erotica with artistic merit to an audience over 18 (who are keen to see them) and nothing done about the illegal X rated sale of videos and DVD's in sex shops that is rampant?
Is there not a hint of corruption or hypocrisy and definitely absurdity here?
Why are X rated films banned at all! It begs the question given the ready availability of it in on the Internet? Available on any PC, anywhere.
A MUFF screening is a minor problem compared to the flaunting of your rules every day of every year by the Adult Sex Industry.
Why are films like Shortbus and 9 Songs passed though they clearly contravene some of your guidelines?
Why is MIFF allowed to play a film like Exterminating Angles in a section that focussed on perversity and erotica though that too contravenes your guideline? And we cannot do it? We will comply with your absurd ruling out of fear of prosecution to our small festival but register our complaint also that this is neither fair or just. We believe strongly it represents a violation of the basic human rights of Australian citizens to freedom of speech, assembly and expression.
Enabling a festival like MUFF or MIFF to play whatever they choose from the classy end of the sex industry will lift both festivals standing in the International community and not reveal a backward 1950's attitude to sex and censorship in Australia. Your own guidelines date from over 50 years ago. Surely a review is in order?
I am cc-ing this email to the MIFF Festival Director Richard Moore for his interest. His comments and feelings on the matter I would be interested to hear.
Any answers to these questions or our complaint will be greatly appreciated from the OFLC.
This letter is not written in disrespect but in a wish for better clarification of the important issues it contains.
Best Regards Richard Wolstencroft
PS. Why is 70k banned it has no sex or violence at all does it?
MUFF opens tonight at Toff in Town come down and support a festival that believes in fighting censorship!
***
MUFF 8 Winners!
October 1st 2007
Announced at Closing Night Sunday 30 September at F-Four Nightclub.
You will notice that 70K and Ashley and Kisha have been given awards. Though these films did not screen at MUFF due to the ban from the OFLC the jury saw them and were so impressed as to present them with awards.
Thanks you to all entrants and winners especially the stand out MUFF Neu films A Nocturne, Left Ear, Black Water, Taber Corn, Garth Goes Hitch Hiking and Moonlight and Magic and great shorts Forged and The Interrogation Of Bryan – MUFF Festival Director Richard Wolstencroft
Best Documentary (Tie) Garth Goes Hitch Hiking
Director: Gregory Pakis
70k Director: Jamie Howarth
That’s it for MUFF 8! Ciao.
(Scan by Liss)
