Minister Pigai Responds to Controversy over Ban on Screening 'Pig Feast' Film: Must Be a Court Decision

Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai has emphasised that the prohibition of film screenings or group viewings cannot be carried out unilaterally without a legal basis and a court decision. According to Pigai, restrictions on film works can only be imposed through legal mechanisms as regulated by legislation. Therefore, parties without legal authority are not permitted to ban film screenings in public spaces. “A film can only be banned according to a court decision, according to the law,” said Pigai. This statement was made amid the controversy over the banning of group viewings of the documentary film “Pesta Babi” in several regions and university environments in the country. In several cases, film screening activities were reportedly cancelled following pressure or requests to halt from certain groups. He stressed that banning actions cannot be carried out by groups or individuals without authority based on the law. “If people who are not given authority as mandated by the law, then they must not carry out such actions,” he said. Pigai stated that a ban on a film must have a clear legal basis, either in the form of statutory provisions or a court decision with legal force. “The ban can only be through a court decision. Is there a court decision? No. So it cannot be like that,” he said. According to him, film works are part of the community’s creative expressions that must be respected as part of freedom of expression in a democratic country. “Therefore, group viewings like this are the power, will, and creative output of the work of the Indonesian people, which must be respected and presented to the public,” said Pigai. He assessed that parties who feel harmed or disagree with the content of a film should pursue clarification mechanisms or present opposing views, rather than imposing a ban. “Even if there is something in the film that makes a party feel accused, then clarify, because there are means to clarify, or you can make a new film,” he said.