Temer government censors film whose cast protested against the coup.
The Brazilian Ministry of Justice has ruled that the film Aquarius, by filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho, be classified as unsuitable for viewers under 18 years of age, alleging that it contains a "complex sexual situation"; the film's cast, starring Sônia Braga, protested against the interim president, Michel Temer, during the Cannes Film Festival in France; the actors displayed posters condemning the coup in Brazil and made headlines around the world.
247 - The Ministry of Justice has determined that the film Aquarius, by Pernambuco filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho, should be classified as unsuitable for viewers under 18 years of age, alleging that the film contains "complex sexual situations."
The film's cast, starring Sônia Braga, organized a protest During the Cannes Film Festival in France, actors displayed signs on the red carpet condemning the ongoing parliamentary coup in Brazil aimed at deposing elected President Dilma Rousseff and in defense of democracy. The act made the front pages of several foreign newspapers.
The censorship of the film was questioned by the distributor Vitrine Filmes, which appealed to the courts asking for the film to be reclassified. The request was denied this Monday (23). The producers claim that the film does not contain acts of violence and sexuality appears in only three moments of the feature film.
Aquarius was unanimously chosen as the winner in the "Best Film" category at the Sydney Film Festival in June of this year.