Back in cinemas

Controversial Xhosa initiation film Inxeba (The Wound) has been freed from “imprisonment” in sex shops and will be back in South African cinemas on Friday after losing its hardcore pornography rating.

Judge Neil Tuchten yesterday granted an order in the High Court in Pretoria, allowing the movie to be shown in cinemas with an 18 age restriction pending the outcome of a bid later this month by the movie’s producer and distributor to set aside a decision by the Film and Publication Board’s Appeal Tribunal to classify it as hardcore pornography.

The board initially gave the film a 16 LS rating, but the tribunal imposed an X-rating after complaints by the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) and the Man and Boy Foundation.

Inxeba’s producer Cait Pansegrouw said she hoped the parties’ agreement to remove the X-rating would ensure the violent opposition to the film stopped and that members of the public who wished to see Inxeba were no longer prohibited from doing so.

Director John Trengove said the South African film and arts community still deserved to hear a real explanation of how the tribunal arrived at such an embarrassing violation of their legal and constitutional rights in the first place.

Inxeba star Niza Jay said he was elated that the film was back in cinemas.

“I honestly have nothing to say about a statutory film body promulgating homophobia and censorship by declaring that the most awarded and critically acclaimed South African film of all time has no artistic merit.

“Inxeba is South Africa’s film and we should take pride in its accomplishments. When bigots try to tyranise our film industry we must not fall into the trap of playing victim,” he said.

Members of Contralesa and the fundation demonstrated outside court, describing the film as disrespectful to the dignity of women and an insulting distortion of traditional initiation.