Welcome to Greensborough

Dir Tom McEvoy / 2005 / Australia

Anewave Film Productions had this DVD banned on November 2nd 2006. 

Apart from a cast and crew screening at RMIT, the public premiere took place at the 2005 Melbourne Underground Film Festival where it went on to pick-up a couple of awards.

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MUFF 2005
Welcome to Greensborough Kino DENDY | Sat 9th 7pm Dir Tom McEvoy | 2003-4 | Australia | 110 mins

The rise and revenge of Youth! The Australian answer to “Kids”, “Gummo” and “Ken Park”. The first Australian film I know of to have been refused a classification from the OFLC (…a first film historians?). Why? Because this film is about young people, made by young people…that actually dared to have scenes of late teenagers having sex. Shock Horror…that doesn’t go on does it? This is no Larry Clark drooling over teenagers here; this is young people reflecting their world, where in that world sixteen year old girls fuck sixteen-year-old guys. Well not anymore, director Tom McEvoy had to reshoot his love scenes with actors over 18. So the MUFF version will be ok with our masters and betters at the OFLC. The film features angst-ridden teenagers partying, getting wasted, being bored and generally wondering who sold the youth of the world down the river. Film ends in a gang bang cum rape scene…now that’s how they should have finished Somersault!

MUFF 2005
Best Editing:
Welcome To Greensborough (AUS)

Best Guerrilla Film:
Welcome to Greensborough (AUS)
Dir: Tom McEvoy

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Despite MUFF claiming in their publicity that it was:

" The first Australian film I know of to have been refused a classification from the OFLC".

At the time of the MUFF screening the film had not been Refused Classification by the censors. This did not take place until November 2006. Thanks to Director Tom McEvoy for setting the record straight about the MUFF comment.

" I had received a recommendation that I change the from a source close to the OFLC that heard of the subject matter of the film. I was recommended to change certain scenes to avoid a clash with the OFLC ratings board otherwise the film was going to be the subject of intense scrutiny."

"All of the actors involved in any sexual situations in the film were over 18. However, we did re-shoot certain scenes due to what I felt like was "over-kill" of the under-age sexuality factor, we toned down certain elements of dialogue."

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In order to distribute the film In Australia it was going to be necessary to obtain a rating from the Classification Board. Here Tom explains the difference between the 110min MUFF cut, and the 118min version sent for rating. He also speculates on what scenes may have caused the problems.

"....the version that screened at MUFF was a toned down version, almost a rough cut to the extremes of the finished version. Not to say the finished version is extreme in terms of world cinema standards when measured against Irreversible and Anatomy of Hell. Ken Park is far more sexually graphic than Welcome to Greensborough but I guess from an Australian teen film is very confronting.

"I'm quite sure the scenes that caused the most issue were the sexual scenes involving the characters aged 14 in the film, mainly a blow-job/gag scene halfway through the film. There's intense sexual profanity directed towards these characters and also an intense moment of sexual violence at the end of the film. "

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The following is a letter that Mick McClanahan received from Des Clark regarding the RC rating awarded to WELCOME TO GREENSBOROUGH 

Quoted from:
www.blognow.com.au/iCE654

23905
06/9004

I refer to your email of 8 November 2006 regarding the classification of the film Welcome to Greensborough.

The national classification scheme is a cooperative scheme involving the Commonwealth, States and Territories. The Classification Board (the Board) classifies films (including videos and DVDs), computer games and certain publications. When making decisions, the Board applies criteria in the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 (the Act), the National Classification Code (the Code) and the classification guidelines. Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers with censorship responsibilities agree to the Code and the classification guidelines. I have provided a link to the Guidelines for the Classification of Films and Computer Games (the Guidelines) for your information.

The Guidelines are a tool used by the Board to assist them in applying the criteria in the Code by describing in more detail the nature of the different classification categories, and the scope and limits of the classifiable elements permitted within each category. The six classifiable elements are themes, violence, sex, language, drug use and nudity.

If you refer to the Guidelines, you will also note that each classification category begins with an “impact test” that determines the threshold for the category and lists the classifiable elements accompanied by a statement limiting the content of each element. The impact threshold is described according to the following hierarchy of impact:

— very mild – G
— mild – PG
— moderate – M
— strong – MA 15+
— high – R 18+
— very high – RC

On 3 November the Board determined that the film Welcome to Greensborough be Refused Classification (RC). In the Board’s view this film warrants an RC classification as, in accordance with the Code, it depicts, expresses or otherwise deals with “matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified”.

The Guidelines also state that films which exceed the R 18+ or X 18+ classification will be RC.

Specifically, the Board considers that the depictions of actual sexual activity; the use in the film of aggressive, coarse, sexually explicit and assaultive language; the implied sexual activity and portrayal of participation in a pornographic film; and the context in which they involve young people who are said to be under the age of 18; raise the viewing impact of the film to above high and therefore the film cannot be accommodated in the R 18+ classification.

The Board also notes that the film includes an implied depiction of a woman being stabbed repeatedly in her crotch with a knife. This violent depiction and the depiction of children said to be aged under 18 throughout the film precludes the film from being classified X 18+.

In your email you ask why material that would otherwise be classified X 18+ is RC due to the inclusion of sexually assaultive language.

The X 18+ classification is a special and legally restricted category which contains only sexually explicit material. That is material which contains real depictions of actual sexual intercourse and other sexual activity between consenting adults. As the only genre-specific classification – being solely concerned with depictions of actual sex - films classified X 18+ do not come within the hierarchy of impact specified in the Guidelines. In addition to assaultive language, you will note from the Guidelines that the classification also excludes:

Owing to the widely differing views held in our community it is not always possible to make decisions which satisfy everyone. I assure you that the Board takes its responsibilities seriously and reflects current community standards when making decisions.

I hope this information assists you.

Yours sincerely
Des Clark
Director
29 November 2006

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As for this being the first Australian film to be banned by the censors. Sadly it's not true. How about the following films and shorts. All are covered elsewhere on the site.

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Director Tom McEvoy's myspace page. 

Continue...

   http://www.refused-classification.com

refusedclassification@gmail.com