Censors pass Schindler's List, pending cuts
Censors pass Schindler's List, pending cuts
JAKARTA (JP): The Oscar winning film Schindler's List has been
passed by Indonesian censors on the condition that some of the
scenes be cut, an official said yesterday.
Soekanto, the executive director of the Film Censorship Board,
told The Jakarta Post that in a plenary meeting of the board on
Tuesday they decided to allow the film to be screened to the
public, "on the condition that pornographic and sadistic scenes
are cut."
The plenary meeting was attended by more than half of its 45
members,
"Now we're waiting for a response from the owner and maker of
the film. If they insist on having the film shown uncut here, we
will give it back to them," Soekanto said. He added that the
board expects an answer within two or three days.
Steven Spielberg, the producer of the film which won seven
Academy Awards, has stirred controversy in other Southeast Asian
capitals after he insisted that Schindler's List be shown uncut
or not at all.
The Philippines responded to public pressure by passing the
film uncut. Thailand also agreed to pass the film uncut after a
stiff debate. However, Spielberg withdrew the film from Malaysia
after Kuala Lumpur insisted on cutting some of the scenes.
The film, a dramatized account of a German war-profiteer who
saved more than 1,000 Polish Jews from the Nazi concentration
camp during World War II, has also caused controversy in
Indonesia with some Moslem leaders calling it a Zionist
propaganda.
However, Soekanto said that the censorship board did not judge
the film in terms of whether or not it propagates Zionist cause.
"We censored the film the same way we did any other. We did not
give it any special treatment."
The film did not pass the censorship board the first time
round when it failed to win a unanimous vote from five board
members. This required the issue to be decided by a vote at a
plenary meeting.
Soekanto said the vote was valid because 24 members of the
board were present at the meeting. Even though the chief of the
board, Alex Rio, was absent, the first deputy chief, Kamaluddin,
was present and led the meeting.
A source on the board said that seven members voted against
passing the film and the rest agreed for its release but subject
to normal cuts.
Soekanto declined to say how many parts of the film will have
to be cut. "We will have to cut quite a lot before it can be
shown to the public," he said. He added that the board could
guarantee that the cuts would not affect the story line.
The Association of the Indonesian Importers of European and
American Films which imported Schindler's List was not available
to comment on the board's decision yesterday. The association was
notified of the ruling a day after the meeting. (arf)
JAKARTA (JP): The Oscar winning film Schindler's List has been
passed by Indonesian censors on the condition that some of the
scenes be cut, an official said yesterday.
Soekanto, the executive director of the Film Censorship Board,
told The Jakarta Post that in a plenary meeting of the board on
Tuesday they decided to allow the film to be screened to the
public, "on the condition that pornographic and sadistic scenes
are cut."
The plenary meeting was attended by more than half of its 45
members,
"Now we're waiting for a response from the owner and maker of
the film. If they insist on having the film shown uncut here, we
will give it back to them," Soekanto said. He added that the
board expects an answer within two or three days.
Steven Spielberg, the producer of the film which won seven
Academy Awards, has stirred controversy in other Southeast Asian
capitals after he insisted that Schindler's List be shown uncut
or not at all.
The Philippines responded to public pressure by passing the
film uncut. Thailand also agreed to pass the film uncut after a
stiff debate. However, Spielberg withdrew the film from Malaysia
after Kuala Lumpur insisted on cutting some of the scenes.
The film, a dramatized account of a German war-profiteer who
saved more than 1,000 Polish Jews from the Nazi concentration
camp during World War II, has also caused controversy in
Indonesia with some Moslem leaders calling it a Zionist
propaganda.
However, Soekanto said that the censorship board did not judge
the film in terms of whether or not it propagates Zionist cause.
"We censored the film the same way we did any other. We did not
give it any special treatment."
The film did not pass the censorship board the first time
round when it failed to win a unanimous vote from five board
members. This required the issue to be decided by a vote at a
plenary meeting.
Soekanto said the vote was valid because 24 members of the
board were present at the meeting. Even though the chief of the
board, Alex Rio, was absent, the first deputy chief, Kamaluddin,
was present and led the meeting.
A source on the board said that seven members voted against
passing the film and the rest agreed for its release but subject
to normal cuts.
Soekanto declined to say how many parts of the film will have
to be cut. "We will have to cut quite a lot before it can be
shown to the public," he said. He added that the board could
guarantee that the cuts would not affect the story line.
The Association of the Indonesian Importers of European and
American Films which imported Schindler's List was not available
to comment on the board's decision yesterday. The association was
notified of the ruling a day after the meeting. (arf)