Movies from the Netherlands that have been cut or banned in Australia.
The Babysitter
Directed by Casper Verbrugge / 1980 / Netherlands / IMDb
The Melbourne Film Festival programmed THE BABYSITTER to screen in June 1982.
However, in late May, the Chief Censor, Janet Strickland, called it in for viewing. It was no doubt prompted by the synopsis.
June 1982
– Melbourne Film Festival program
One evening, a man is looking after the six-year-old daughter of friends. He starts playing innocently with the child only to discover latent paedophile tendencies in himself. His response disturbs him and makes him feel that he must suppress these emotions whatever happens.
THE BABYSITTER was refused and did not screen.
Further reading
For further information regarding this case, see Hector Babenco’s PIXOTE (1981) in the Film Censorship Database No. 1.
Matinée
Directed by Jennifer Lyon Bell / 2009 / Netherlands / IMDb
The 10th Melbourne Underground Film Festival programmed MATINÉE to screen on 26 August 2009 at Loop Bar.
It was cancelled a week before the screening after the Classification Board refused to give it a film festival exemption.
August 20, 2009
Today the Melbourne Underground Film Festival received knowledge that the OFLC has placed a ban upon the screening of Jennifer Lyon Bells MATINÉE as part of the Mini Muff shorts session. MUFF wishes to oppose this decision on two grounds.Firstly, the decision negates the artistic merits of the film. While graphically sexual, MATINÉE is a picture which embodies many of the qualities which should be sought after in high quality artistic filmmaking. The lead performances are strong and memorable, and the direction and production design work twofold, both ensuring a subtle, entirely naturalistic feel, and a highly stylized, enigmatic and atmospheric world, the likes of which is often attempted in independent cinema but rarely so deftly achieved.
Secondly, and most importantly, MUFF opposes the OFLC’s decision on the grounds that it represents a hypocritical and troubling suppression of transgressive female-centric sexuality on film. The modus operandi of Blue Artichoke Films, Bells production company, is to create films which portray realistic sexual intimacy, depict empowered female characters, possess artistic merit and strong narratives, and do not fall back upon the damaging and often dangerous stereotypes of female sexuality that the Western media is accustomed to. In other words, Bell is looking to produce films about sexuality which women can enjoy, free of masculine control.
It is outrageous that the OFLC has sought fit to ban MATINÉE for the sole reason that it depicts actual sex. The sex depicted in the film, while real, is set within a relationship based on love and mutual desire. What we see in MATINÉE is two consenting adults (characters, not porn clichés, with a deep and complex established relationship) making love. That is all. Nowhere in this film do we see any violence, sexual abuse, cruelty or malice; we merely see the intimacy which occurs between loving partners every day in real life. The fact that this depiction is considered to be too disturbing for an adult audience, and yet films which depict shocking and graphic violence and/or sexual abuse (yes, simulated, but made to look and feel real) are passed by the OFLC, is unacceptable.
Lars Von Triers ANTICHRIST was recently passed by the OFLC for the Melbourne International Film Festival. This film depicts extremely high levels of sexual violence and genital mutilation, and encourages a phallocentric vision in its audience that touches on the idea that women are inherently evil. MATINÉE depicts actual sex between two adults in a loving and consenting partnership, and significantly it focuses on the importance of women’s pleasure in sexual intimacy, and presents a remarkably strong female lead. Passing ANTICHRIST but banning MATINÉE reveals a tendency in the OFLC to suppress films which strengthen female sexuality on screen and to allow films which encourage view that female sexuality is damaged, fractured or violent.
There have been cases in the recent past wherein films depicting graphic actual sex within realistic, emotionally-toned and non-violent settings have been granted passage by the OFLC (MUFF points to SHORTBUS as one example), and MUFF asks only that the same considerations are granted to Bells MATINÉE, as not repealing their decision, will brand the OFLC hypocritical, suppressive, and worryingly anti-women.
– OFLC Bans ‘MATINÉE at MUFF
– muff.com.au
Director vs. Censor
August 20, 2009
I’m disappointed and puzzled by your decision not to allow my film MATINÉE to screen at this year’s Melbourne Underground Film Festival.The sexual relationship portrayed by the characters Mariah and Daniel in MATINÉE is not only a consensual, emotional and nuanced relationship, but their sex plays an important role in the story of the film. The story is not tacked on to the sex; rather, the story has everything to do with the way the characters continue to communicate nonverbally throughout the entire sex scene. This nonverbal sexual communication is, at least according to the feedback on the film so far, an important part of why MATINÉE is seen by festival programmers as different from most of the other films they’ve seen this year.
I’d also like to point out that certain elements of the sex in MATINÉE — such as the inclusion of safer-sex techniques made crucial to the storyline — create a more responsible depiction of sex than one frequently sees in either mainstream or art films, in which characters usually throw sexual caution to the wind under the guise of romance.
I hope this letter addresses whatever concerns you may have had about my film, but of course if you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me through the Festival.
– To: Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC)
– From: Jennifer Lyon Bell. Director, Matinée
August 20, 2009
My film was just banned, and I can’t decide if I’m laughing or needing a drink.I just got an urgent Facebook message from the director of the Melbourne Underground Film Festival, Richard Wolstencroft. Apparently the Australian Film Board [Classification Board] is allowing all the unrated films at MUFF to screen next week, except mine. Though they give no reason except for sexual content, and they aren’t even required to necessarily view the film before handing down the decision (since they aren’t officially classifying it), they think MATINÉE can’t even be seen at an underground festival.
Seriously?
It’s just two characters enjoying sex in a realistic way that fits with their characters’ personalities. Consensual sex, nothing weird. Why on earth would that be dangerous to watch?
What’s weird is that mainstream movies spend hours building up the characters in a story, then mangle the lovescene with brusque camera cutaways and awkward sheet-covering bedroom choreography as soon as the moment arrives. You never see James Bond have sex; after a few witty double entendres it’s fade-out then fade-up with a lit cigarette and this is considered a perfectly acceptable depiction of sex on film.
Frankly, I’d like to know more about how James Bond does it. Is he a true sexual connoisseur, able to quickly divine each woman’s preferences and feel from her subtle reactions whether she wants her G-spot stroked or her hands deliciously pinned to the bed? Or is he an arrogant Casanova who uses some weird abrasive patented technique on every woman he sleeps with, smugly congratulating himself They all love it when I do that? I’d like the movie better as a whole because it’d tell me a lot about who he is. Plus, if he was good, it’d be really fun to watch, wouldn’t it?
The films that inspired me to mix explicit sex with story and character — KEN PARK, 9 SONGS, SHORTBUS — have all had rough roads. But I hoped that outside of America, my loving but prudish home country, everything would be easier. As it turns out, New York was no problem at all, and neither was Amsterdam (my current home). Strasbourg and Berlin festivals are happily screening it this fall. But Australia has a problem.
The MUFF team say they stand behind my film 100% and are considering all options, including a civil disobedience screening?. They’ve already formally protested the ban and sent out national press releases supporting MATINÉE. I don’t want anyone to get in trouble on my behalf, so I can only hope they know what they’re doing and have let them know how grateful I am for all their efforts.
I hope that the Australian Film Commission [Classification Board] changes its mind. Not just for me, but for all the other filmmakers who are psyched to show stories where the characters go all the way. Those are the films I’d dodge a ban to see.
– To: The Australian press
– From: Jennifer Lyon Bell. Director, Matinée
August 23, 2009
On Thursday the OFLC (Australia’s Office of Film and Literature Classification) notified the Melbourne Underground Film Festival that the film MATINÉE, directed by Jennifer Lyon Bell for Blue Artichoke Films, is the only unrated film which they will not allow MUFF to screen, citing “sexual content”. In Australia, film festivals must apply for “exemptions” for unrated films.MATINÉE (2009), a dramatic film with intense sexually explicit content, was accepted the Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF) and scheduled for screening this coming Wednesday August 26.
MUFF is outraged by the decision and stands by the film. Today they released an open letter to the OFLC stating their belief that the decision is unfair. In their press release to the Australian media, they cite the artistic merit of the film, including its “subtle, entirely naturalistic feel…. [and] highly stylized, enigmatic and atmospheric world” . With regard to the depiction of graphic sexuality, they point out that the OFLC has historically privileged violent and misogynistic representations of explicit sex over the type of unabashed female sexual pleasure shown in MATINÉE. MUFF contrasts MATINÉE’s ban with the OFLC’s acceptance of Lars von Trier’s violent sexually explicit film ANTICHRIST . In the past, festival exemptions have also been granted to SHORTBUS, 9 SONGS, and DESTRICTED – where the latter two are much less story -driven than MATINÉE.
MUFF says they are considering their options, including holding a special “civil disobedience” screening in support of the film. A screening like this would be in line with some of their past protests; the 2006 OFLC ban of Tony Comstock’s erotic documentary DAMON AND HUNTER: DOING IT TOGETHER motivated MUFF to hold a special unofficial screening –which promptly sold out . A similar situation in 2007 occurred with Comstock’s ASHLEY AND KISHA: FINDING THE RIGHT FIT, but in that case Melbourne police were dispatched to bar filmgoers from the venue.
MATINÉE is the story of a reserved stage actress who decides to improvise her onstage lovescene in a bold attempt to inject creativity into the play. Their improvisation evolves into actual sex onstage in front of a li ve audience. MATINÉE’s themes involve trust, ambition, and creative risk.
Recently MATINÉE won the CineKink/NYC film festival ’s jury award for “Best Narrative Film”, and won Honorable Mention at the 2009 Feminist Porn Awards. It was also selected for the #4 spot in Cosmopolitan magazine’s “5 Best Sex Films For Women” (German edition, July 2009) and has been featured in top-ranking Dutch magazines and television programs, including a variety of feminist and women’s magazines.
MATINÉE was produced in Amsterdam, Netherlands by an American filmmaker, Jennifer Lyon Bell, who has been living in Amsterdam for 10 years. MATINÉE was released May 1 and has mainly screened in Europe. Bell ’s film can be seen this autumn at festival screenings worldwide and is currently available for sale online at www.blueartichokefilms.com. The next screening will take place at the Strasbourg International Film Festival in France in early September.
Australia bans explicit drama Matinée
– blueartichokefilms.com
Protest screening abandoned
Despite the ban, MATINÉE came very close to being shown at MUFF. At the last moment, Richard Wolstencroft decided against defying the censor.
The following year, he followed through with his threat and screened Bruce La Bruce’s banned L.A. ZOMBIE (2010).
September 1, 2009
Blue Artichoke Films is proud to announce that our erotic drama MATINÉE has just won the jury prize for Best Short Film at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival 2009 — despite the film’s controversial ban from the festival by the Australian government!As you probably read in our last News post: Last week, the August 26 scheduled screening of MATINÉE at MUFF was halted at the last minute due to notification by the OFLC (Australia’s Office of Film and Literature Classification) that MATINÉE was the only unrated film which the OFLC would not allow MUFF to screen. The OFLC cited “sexual content” as the reason. Presumably, this is because MATINÉE includes an erotic, explicit sex scene between the film’s two main characters, Mariah and Daniel.
Though MUFF had seriously considered defying the ban and holding a “civil disobedience” screening, the press attention surrounding the ban proved too great to be able to safely screen the film. Moments before the screening, MATINÉE was removed from the lineup. However, despite the fact that MATINÉE remains unseen by MUFF’s festivalgoers, the official jury of the festival decided that the film warranted the prize for Best Short Film. We’re touched and grateful.
Blue Artichoke Films is proud to add MUFF’s award to its list of honors. Recently MATINÉE won the CineKink/NYC film festival’s jury award for Best Short Narrative Film, and won Honorable Mention at the 2009 Feminist Porn Awards. It was also selected for the #4 spot in Cosmopolitan magazine’s 5 Best Sex Films For Women (German edition, July 2009) and has been featured in top-ranking Dutch magazines and television programs, including a variety of feminist and women’s magazines.
We send out our gratitude to the Melbourne Underground Film Festival for inviting us, to director Richard Wolstencroft and the rest of the MUFF team for valiantly defending us in the press and to the OFLC, and of course…to the jury!
– Matinée wins Best Short Film prize in Australia, despite ban
– blueartichokefilms.com
No show at second festival
MATINÉE was also programmed to screen at the second Melbourne Sexy International Film Festival.
Once again, the Classification Board refused to grant a film festival exemption.
October 1, 2009
MATINÉE has recently been deemed too sexy for festivals in Australia, the talented & dedicated organizers of SIFF are hoping the can screen it with HEADSHOT…fingers crossed!The Sexy International Film Festival has posted their program, and now you can find HEADSHOT. Our MATINEE might run too…stay tuned.
MATINÉE is also an official selection of the festival, but due to the Australian Classification Board’s not granting festival approval to MATINÉE for the recent Melbourne Underground Film Festival because of MATINÉE’s sexual content, it might not be possible after all. Oh, well! The Sexy International Film Festival organizers are very sorry about that, but are pleased that our HEADSHOT can still definitely screen.
– Sexy International Film Festival screens Headshot
– Jennifer Lyon Bell
– blueartichokefilms.com
October 29, 2009
– Melbourne Program
We are very disappointed with the OFLC’s decision to ban this quality film.
MATINÉE, Loop Bar & Screen, Shorts Session 3, 9:15 pm
– 2nd Annual Sexy International Film Festival
A double-bill of Tony Comstock’s films was refused exemptions for their inaugural 2008 event.
Likely to be classified X 18+
September 7, 2010
… the Director granted 510 exemptions to applicants to show unclassified films at an event.The same number of exemptions was granted in the previous reporting period. These were primarily for film festivals and special film events. One application for exemption to show an unclassified film [MATINÉE] was refused.
– Exemptions to show unclassified films
– Classification Board, Annual Report, 2009 to 2010
