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In all the years that NLGBA has supported the Forum Cinema in hosting
the London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival on Tour, never has there been
so much comment about one film as there was this year with the launch
film “Mysterious Skin”.
Gregg Araki’s film, based on Scott Heim’s novel, closed the
London Festival, with “an ambitious and uncompromising story of
childhood sexual trauma”. The main issue that arose from some attendees
was the lack of warning about the disturbing content of the film. The
BFI themselves in answering this question simply referred to their own
programme notes with the words “the shockingly mundane and sometimes
horrific scenes of abuse, sexuality and violence in the film…”.
Whilst the Forum Cinema’s condensed version was extremely limited
and merely referred to “discovering a horrible, liberating truth”.
There is little doubt that these descriptions in themselves could not
have prepared viewers fully for the on screen revelations. There is an
acceptance that a more explicit warning was appropriate and The Forum
programmer apologises for any upset caused. A lesson has been learnt with
regard to ensuring adequate notes and warnings for future screenings.
Leaving that issue aside, it is worth reflecting on some of the comments
from NLGBA viewers who unanimously praised the quality of the film:
“The film was well made & shocking…”
“This was an immensely powerful film, which grasped some difficult
and sensitive issues around child abuse and sexual identity, as well as
the complexities and dangers of the sex industry and inter personal relationships.
This wide range of sexualised subject matter was managed in a highly sensitive
way, which was supported with the appropriate use of humour….in
summary an excellent film with pertinent direction.”
“A professionally produced film…highlighting the lasting damage
of paedophilia”
“The themes were sensitively handled and even the more violent parts
weren’t gratuitous”
“ We are most fortunate to be able to see such films in Northampton”
NLGBA acknowledges that for those that attended the celebratory pink picnic
earlier in the day, the impact of the film is likely to have been far
greater.
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