Roman Polanski season at BFI

[BelleCurve]

www.bfi.org.uk/roman-polanski

I think it is awful that the BFI is organising a retrospective to celebrate child rapist Roman Polanski - any MNers want to campaign against it?

[hellsbells76]

This is from wiki:

The BFI operates with three sources of income. The largest is public money allocated by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. In 2011-12, this funding amounted to approximately £20m. The second largest source is commercial activity such as receipts from ticket sales at BFI Southbank or the BFI London IMAX theatre (2007, £5m), sales of DVDs, etc. Thirdly, grants and sponsorship of around £5m are obtained from various sources, including National Lottery funding grants, private sponsors and through donations (J. Paul Getty, Jr. donated around £1m in his will following his death in 2003). The BFI is also the distributor for all Lottery funds for film (in 2011-12 this will amount to c.£25m).

Official complaint to the Dept for Culture, Media and Sport for a start? Although with this misogynist shower in government I don't hold out much hope of that doing anything.

[hellsbells76]

please stop feeding it everyone - it'll get bored and wander off eventually.

[dangalf]

I can assure you that I have not been trolling. I have not told women how to feel about rape or rapists. I have stated that I think it is ok for the BFI to have a retrospective of a famous director irrespective of his crime. I have not tried to dismiss this crime in any way. I have repeatedly said it is disgusting and he should be punished. I am just very upset by being unfairly maligned as a rape apologist, dismissed unfairly as someone who does not care about child rape etc.

[dangalf]

@Beertrickspotter - I was only pointing it out when it was made as you said it was an interesting choice for a child rapist. As it was made before the crime was committed then I don't understand your point. Anyway - thanks you've at least engaged with me on a reasonable level.

Anyway... apologies if I have upset people. That was certainly not my intention. But my objection to what I have been called on here remains as I think that was bang out of order.

[PiccadillyCervix]

Hellsbells i am not sure what can be done except protesting (which I can't attend as I don't live in the UK) but BFI are being very dismissive to posters on their fb site, so I suspect they won't voluntarily be taking it down :(

[PiccadillyCervix]

That is interesting chibi.

Official complaint to the Dept for Culture, Media and Sport for a start? Although with this misogynist shower in government I don't hold out much hope of that doing anything.

that's a good idea helles

[hellsbells76]

I suspect you're right. It's so bloody depressing. If enough of us make a fuss about it, do you think there's a chance they might think twice about doing it again? Their current head of programme (Geoff Andrew) is a real Polanski fanboy and I expect that's the reason for the 'celebration' but surely some people in the BFI must disagree with it?

[aladdinsane]

For anyone who is concerned about censorship I suggest you read Nick Cohen 'you can't read this book: censorship in an age of freedom '
He demonstrates the UK's ridiculous libel laws and how they are used by undesirables such as Polanski to defend a ' reputation '

[drjohnsonscat]

the only censorship here is by the BFI, glossing over the facts.

[FestiviaBlueberry]

"Judges want to fuck young girls. Juries want to fuck young girls. Everyone wants to fuck young girls!?

That quote ... it demonstrates Polanski's attitude to women doesn't it. That if they're young enough, they're there to be fucked. He's using "everyone" to mean all human beings who count. And guess who is missing from there? Anyone who doesn't want to fuck young girls. That's most women for a start and whatever percentage of men it is who aren't either boys themselves or rapey predators.

Whoever said it was a one off, was it? Natassja Kinsky was only 15 when she played Tess and Polanski became her lover, I'm not sure exactly when. That process, of an older predator in a position of power and authority over a much younger person, is known as grooming and it's a well-known way of powerful men getting to exploit girls and young women while calling it consensual. Because powerful old men (the type Polanski has so much fellow-feeling for, the ones who want to fuck young girls) made the laws and decided the customs and so grooming was a perfectly respectable custom until feminists identified and named it. Lots of people still have trouble recognising it though, particularly when it is done by rich, powerful and charming men.

Whatever, Polanski is obviously a skank and the BFI are actually censoring by pretending that he's some sort of noble refugee fleeing from persecution, when actually he's a rapist on the run from justice.

[OhBuggerandArse]

Good post, Festivia. Fancy c&p-ing it over on the BFI FB page? Just Jo keep up the trickle...

Re. other not-one-offs, see what Charlotte Lewis has had to say about her experiences with RP. Fits in very well with your analysis above.

[OhBuggerandArse]

Oh fab. Now we're getting called trolls over there.

[hellsbells76]

I saw that. What a prat.