To try and start a campaign to stop the uk release of 'A Serbian film'

[spidersandglue]

I'm not suggesting anyone read the synopsis as that's disgusting enough. But I don't know how the government can allow this disgusting film to be released!

Surely this sort of film encourages paedophillia and violent rape.

There are more slaves alive now than there has been before at any time in the history of the world. The majority of this is sex trafficking.

I'm revolted that a film like this can be given even a censored release date (10th)

No, rape is; - " forcing someone to have sex against their will " - that could mean oral sex for example.

Therefore : a woman can rape a man.

Laurie-report away...

"i think of the horrors that Europe has visited on the world,even in modern times,thus sort of shit fits in quite nicely i reckon"-it doesn't excuse it though.To start killing your family and neighbours and enforcing your point of view onto others at the end of the 20th century Europe takes some doing,with western media reporting every day live into people's living rooms and then pleading ignorance for the horrors and massacre...sorry but I'm not even gonna go there.
It's memories of that that are still very much alive and the reason why i can't stand any form of violence now and then seeing that trailer-it tells me that directors are very much blind to all the happenings and suffering that happened in the war.Why?Well because it wasn't in their back yard.
Laurie-" I don't want any serbian people to think that we condone it"
"There may be serbian women on here,remember"-Trust me Laurie,serbian people did condone the violence and war and many still do now.I also think if there are people from there on Mumsnet,they should be big enough to defend themselves,so let them.

There are too may posts to quote,but please please understand one thing:They DID know what they were doing.Serbian people DID support it.They had a referendum about it in 1989 or 1990(cant remember exactly,I was a child,and the war started months later)and whole heartedly supported the creation of "Greater Serbia" at the expense of other nations who voted to get out of Yugoslavia.
They attacked other countrie in the most blood thirsty manner seen for a very very long time and shoved their opinions and wishes down peoples throats-literally.So from there comes my comment about belonging to dark ages,not modern Europe.

I'm sorry if i offended anyone,but people in Bosnia and Croatia have been at the receiving end of "They didn't know "propaganda for way too long and I just wanted to give my two piece.
The argument about NATO bombing them just doesn't stand i'm affraid.I think it lasted 5 days.Ha.They continued to flatten my town for 5 YEARS.And what happened?Nothing.The west watched.And serbs pleaded ignorance.Just like now.
And then instead of showing some humility two idiots go and make a movie that turns your stomach and call it after their country.Jesus wept,if i were Serbian I'd go get them myself.They're just not helping themselves,are they

A lot of people are pronouncing on something they have not seen.

A Clockwork Orange was not banned. Kubrick withdrew it.

There are plenty of female horror film-makers and film-makers who depict violence against women. Catherine Breillat, Mary Harron, Mary Lambert, Rachel Talalay, Kathryn Bigelow, Lexi Alexander.

I used to buy and sell horror films (including ?torture porn?) for my job (and therefore apparently a gin-drinking, hipster liberal). Would it surprise you to realise that I am a feminist and so were many of my colleagues? And many of the people who buy them are women. The last time I went to Frightfest (to watch a film that also included these themes) ? the audience was mostly female. Go figure.

I?m not getting into a debate about a film that I haven?t seen but censorship contributes nothing to the liberation of women and children. The most censored societies in this world are also the ones that have extreme patriarchal and misogynistic views.

I find it depressing that many on this thread are calling for censorship and citing links to totally unconnected crimes (the Cornwall story ffs). There is no evidence that anyone has seen the film and no evidence that decreasing censorship contributes to increasing violence against women / children.

The reason this film exists is because someone made it. If you want to make a film to make your point, there?s nothing stopping you. Today a film can be made on a credit card and up on YouTube in minutes. Go for it.

At the very least you should watch the film you are criticising.

I agree with all of your post and you have not called them 'fucking beasts' again, instead you have put forward a less contentious opinion .

A lot of people in Serbia did not support their government.

Just as I don't support the war in Iraq.

There were also plenty of people in Belgrade who had no idea that mass rape was being used as torture.

Just like I had no idea about what happened at Abu ghraib until afterwards.

I don't think it should be banned, but I would like to tell the makers of the film that I think they are pathetic, attention-seeking, talentless twats. Anyone got their email addy?

Tondelayo - I have a theory about why women watch torture porn (rather than just that they feel coerced by society or they think it's 'cool').

I think one of the reasons women watch it is to prepare themselves for violence as they feel violated enough in society. I think that this may be a subconscious defence mechanism.

daftpunk, BaroqinAroundTheChristmasTree - Definition of Rape.

Only men can commit rape.

Not sure why anyone is feeling the need to defend this film and what it may or may not portray. Why do you care whether it portrays something artistic or meaningful or is an allegory (or whatever - I confess to having a minimal interest in art and even less in horror/porn/torture)? The synopsis tells you it is horrific - why think it maybe something other than what it is telling you?

Laurie "I have a theory about why women watch torture porn (rather than just that they feel coerced by society or they think it's 'cool').

I think one of the reasons women watch it is to prepare themselves for violence as they feel violated enough in society. I think that this may be a subconscious defence mechanism."

I think this is an interesting point. I also think the following:

1. Much horror in these films is depicted against men - have seen numerous genital mutilation and long torture scenes against men (more so than women tbh). So they offer a reversal of the usual fare where women are victimes.

1. Many horror films do have strong female characters (heroes and villains) in them who use violence, seek revenge or escape.

1. We (in the UK at least) - despite the fears of this thread - live in a very sanitised society where extreme violence is rare / unseen and bodily damage and destruction very unusual. People are fascinated by the contents and limitations of their bodies and these films offer the chance to explore that.

I'm not interested in, or defending the film - the only reason I opened this thread was to find out what the film was about ( I'd never heard of it.)

Now I know what it's about- should the film be banned? - no definitely not. For reasons given by nancy66.

I believe Angelina Jolie is currently filming in Bosnia and some of it is about rape during the war,and although I don't know much about the movie I think it will probably be explained better with her name behind it, than it is in "A Serbian film"

I think that's the one where the victim falls in love with the man who raped her. It sound equally awful unfortunately. But of course until it's release we don't know the INS and outs of the plot......

Just read the synopsis and have never felt so revulsed.

Am completely against censorship though. It was made, these ideas come from someone's head and I would far rather this was known than underground. Knowledge is power and so on.

But deeply sickening and troubling. I would hope the majority read the blurb and know enough to not go.

Grapeandlemon-Really?I don't know much about it(read I don't know anything!),just that she's filming it there and the story includes rape.
Yes,it sounds awful

Yes kitw I think there was a thread on here not so long ago. It is definately about a Woman who falls in love with her rapist set in Bosnia. Incredibly disturbing premise and I must admit it put me off her.

I agree with what dittany says about the film industry. Male directors truly use this art form as a means of expressing extremely disturbing and offensive fantasies about Women.

The trend of recent horror films to become more extreme with "sexual violence" (cringe) primarily against young Women, has made for very popular, in some cases cult movies. That is bloody depressing. One of many I can think of is a film called "Chaos" where the plot is: two Women are captured raped and tortured by a group of men until they decide to Murder one of them by placing a knife inside her vagina.

How would Women feel viewing such a film? Why do such films even get to production?

that sounds so grim.I can't watch violent films and just reading about it makes me feel light headed.
You are right,who produces such crap and why.It's SO offensive.
Gang rape?Knife inside vagina?Murder by butchering?Omg...
To me it looks like a competition on pushing boundaries and knowing that some people come up with story lines like that gives me creeps.It's so so chilling.

And the worst thing is they must have an audience somewhere,otherwise they wouldn't be making them

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the reason most women go to watch 'torture porn' movies isn't that they are exploring the limits of their bodies but for very much the same reason that many women say they're not feminists.

If your bloke wants to go and watch 'Saw' on Saturday night most women aren't going to say 'no I don't like the way it eroticises sexual violence' because that way lies accusations of having no sense of humour etc etc etc. Violence against women is normal and it's interesting and it's sexy in our society.

Any woman with a backbone would say SAW is a load of crap with a shit story-line and boring as hell...or maybe thats just me?...I don't do rom=coms ...but i don't do horror bollox either...

Ah, Chaos - a 5 year old film that's never (to my knowledge or brief internet research) been released in the UK - very relevant.

I'm not defending this film - I have not seen it. I was simply pointing out that - contrary to the frequent assertions on this thread that not all horror or violent film-makers are male.

"Who thinks this film isn't woman-hating?"

Yes, let's answer that question. All of those who have seen this film - is it women hating or not?

And of course women would never create or consume the horror genre unless men had told them to . That's not a misogynist statement at all.

I agree Mumcentreplus. Very dull series of films. Same as Wolf Creek - no suspense whatsoever. Much prefer Gone

"I agree that women just put up and go along with whatever because the punishment for objecting is going to be worse."

Seriously? All women who have seen the SAW series (what's it done about £15 million UK box office in total maybe) went to see it because otherwise their partners would beat them up?!

Yes and all those women buying Martina Cole books (chockful of violence against women and children) were doing so because a man told them to. And Mary Shelley, when she wrote a book about a man cutting up bodies and sewing them together, just doing it on the say so of Percy Bysshe???

I must be an exception because I enjoy horror but my DH hates them. But that can't be possible can it?