Calls surge to replace LSF

Calls surge to replace LSF

By Joko E.H. Anwar

JAKARTA (JP): During the New Order era, the film censorship
board was a government tool used to ban movies considered a
threat to the ruling party.

The board was also known to be merciless when it came to
cutting scenes it considered erotic or too violent.

Today, the Film Censorship Institution (LSF) appears to be
less active with its scissors, but its work is still considered
invasive since it often cuts scenes inappropriately.

The censorship board members seem to think that they are not
only entitled to cut scenes which they consider too violent or
too erotic, they also apparently think it is their right to
decide whether the moral of a film is suitable for viewers or
not.

Academy Award winning film Belle Epoque, which was shown at
theaters here last month, is evidence of how local censorship has
taken away viewers' right to determine a film's value.

The board cut several scenes from the film which were neither
erotic or violent but challenged viewers values, which made the
film lose its context.

For a film of Belle Epoque's quality, it was a shame.

Critic-turned-filmmaker Marselli Sumarno said the film
censorship board should be replaced by an independent body which
would rate films instead of censor them.

"There should be a board established by film people themselves
to rate films; which films are for children, for adults, and so
on," director of Sri said, adding that theaters should then
strictly apply the rating system.

Documentary filmmaker Shanty Harmayn echoed Marselli's
opinion, saying a board in charge of rating films was needed.

In the United States, every film to be shown at theaters must
be submitted to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)
to be rated.

The MPAA rates films with the following symbols: G (General
Audiences: All ages admitted), PG (Parental Guidance Suggested:
some material may be inappropriate for children under 13), PG-13
(Parents Strongly Cautioned: Some material may be inappropriate
for children under 13), R (Restricted: Children under 17 require
accompanying parent or adult guardian) and NC-17 (No Children
Under 17 Admitted).

Since most movie theaters strictly apply the system, a rating
which enables a wider audience to see a film means a greater
chance for a producer to earn a larger profit.

The censorship board here also rates films, which is futile
since it cuts out the scenes it considers erotic or too violent
or morally unacceptable.

One film which was rejected by the board is Threesome, a drama
based on a love triangle between a young woman and two men, one
of whom happens to be a homosexual.

The film has been judged unsuitable for screening here due to
its theme and has been deemed "obscene" despite the fact that the
film contains far fewer intimate scenes compared to many other
films released here.

"We strictly hold on to Indonesian values," LSF chairwoman
Tatiek Maliyati told The Jakarta Post during a recent interview
at her office.

Tatiek said that currently there are 45 people on the board,
some of whom are ulemas and other religious leaders. Others are
experts in education.

Every film is viewed by a team of five members of the board
who decide which scenes should be cut or if the film should be
approved for local screening.

The current ratings applied by the board are Semua Umur (all
ages admitted), Remaja (no preteens admitted) and Dewasa
(adults).

Tatiek, however, refused to let the Post see how members of a
team work, saying it would spoil their concentration.

However, a log book belonging to the board which contains a
list of films which have not been passed by the board shows that
the board often rejects a film for a ridiculous reason.

For an example, feature-length animated film South Park:
Bigger, Longer, and Uncut has not been passed for release in VCD
since it is "a film which is obviously propaganda since the film
shows a penis on Saddam Hussein's face".

The fact that the widely popular series on which the feature-
length film is based makes fun of everyone is obviously not known
by the board members.

However, both filmmaker Shanty and Marselli agree that the
censorship board today is more tolerant with films.

Shanty, who also organized the film event of the year, the
second Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest), said the
censorship board had given preferential treatment to films for
the festival.

"The LSF treated the films as festival films. For example,
they didn't cut the kind of scenes they normally would, but we
had to blur particular scenes," Shanty, who is also a professor
of documentary production at the Jakarta Art Institute (IKJ),
said.

Shanty also corrected an earlier report which claimed that one
of the films which was supposed to be shown at the festival,
Kadosh, had not been passed by the censorship board.

The Israeli-France film tells the story of two sisters who are
confronted with the pressure of their faith.

"The board passed the film but we received a protest from a
group called the Anti-Zionist Gathering Committee," Shanty said.