Response

The response to the advertisement that the Film Society placed in the Evening Post and The Dominion, and repeated on the back of the May Sequence, calling for support for Mr. Jonathan Hunt's Cinematograph Films Amendment Bill, was definite and unmistakeable, and more than 1,000 signatures from members of the public have been forwarded to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon H L J May. In the covering letter to the Minister, it was noted that this was a most encouraging indication of public attitudes to what is happening in the area of film censorship at the moment, and the hope was expressed that it would give him any encouragement that may be necessary in order to introduce his own government bill very soon.

The newly appointed Cinematograph Films Censorship Board of Appeal has made its first decisions. Au Pair Girls, which twice had been rejected by the censor, was approved for exhibition to persons aged 18 and over, but still subject to certain cuts. The film has been quickly booked into a Wellington cinema. The Australian film Stone was allowed by the Appeal Board to be seen in New Zealand by persons aged 20 and over, and again the film is subject to certain cuts (for language). It is understood that this film, which is about 'bikies' and their relationship with a policeman, Stone, will not be released immediately, as some further discussion with the Appeal Board is contemplated. It is also understood that the new Appeal Board have had a look at Last Tango In Paris, but at the time of going to press no decision had been made known.

The two Australian films in the recent Film Festival, because of our current censorship laws, or the interpretation of them, had to have several of the famous four letter words obliterated on the sound track. The New Zealand film, which the censor gave an R18, only because of a fairly explicit love scene, upset the photographer/editor of the film, Geoff Steven. Though he said that he had no complaints about the censor himself, he felt that an R18 for a serious attempt at a quality film was an indictment of the Cinematograph Films Act which the censor worked under. "The Act was archaic and unnecessary. The Government must introduce the long-promised and overdue review of the Act." Geoff Steven believes that apathy was one reason censorship had not been reviewed earlier. "So far the battle for reform has been fought mainly by the film societies. Film makers, exhibitors, distributors and the public must also make their views and protests heard." He feels that future films may not be so lucky unless there is a change in the law. "Film makers may have to be prepared to fight their films through on their own intrinsic merits and relevance," Mr Steven said.

- reprinted from Sequence, July 1975.