Cultural activists slam ‘distorted Inxeba’

CULTURAL activists have forged forward with their preparations to block and disrupt screenings of the controversial Inxeba (The Wound) which opens in cinemas countrywide today.

The first protest action by members of the Man and Boy Foundation (MBF) began yesterday at the Film and Publication Board (FPB) offices in Centurion, where they engaged in a sit-in protest demanding the cancellation or editing of the movie.

About 15 members of the foundation sneaked into the board’s buildings at about 11am and demanded to speak to the managers.

Film and Publication Board spokesperson Abongile Mashele said they met the objecting group and advised them to file an appeal with their tribunal council as per legislation.

Mashele said the board’s functions were limited and it could only intervene if the movie had violated freedom of speech and expression and contained child pornography.

She said the Film and Publication Board gave the movie an age rating of 16 SL last July.

The protesters claimed that the movie, which focused on homosexuality at traditional circumcision schools, was filmed in a distasteful manner and had distorted activities associated with the ritual.

Produced by Cait Pansegrouw of Urucu Media, and set in the Eastern Cape, the making of the film has angered traditionalists, who have promised national protests at cinemas tomorrow.

Leaders of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of SA (Contralesa) have already started mobilising support in a bid to gatecrash cinemas in East London and Port Elizabeth, cities in the Eastern Cape where the ritual is commonly practised.

Contralesa provincial chairperson Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana said they had instructed their lawyers to prepare a court interdict to block the movie, but in the meantime they were mobilising youths to disrupt cinemas.

“The movie was a big no-no from start to finish, and all of the stakeholders that we complained to failed to reply to our letters,” he said.

MBF executive director Nkululeko Nxesi said they objected to the portrayal of activities that were commonly discouraged at initiation schools.

He had viewed the prescreening twice.

“The entire film gives a bad impression of initiation schools.

“There are explicit sex scenes and it also shows people falling in love.

‘‘Sex and romantic relations are not part of activities that take place in the mountain,” added Nxesi.

The MBF demanded that the board halted screenings and that the offending scenes be edited out.