Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk

The Cook Islands censor has backtracked on its initial decision to ban Rocketman.

Instead, the Cook Islands Internal Affairs has followed the New Zealand censor’s classification and rated the film R18, reports Cook Islands News.

The censor announced the ban last week, after Samoa banned screenings of the film due to its homosexual content.

However, the announcement was met with public backlash, including a local lawyer threatening legal action if the ban were to go forward.

READ MORE: Israel Folau ‘misuses’ Bible to justify hatred, says Samoan Minister

A Cook Islands News editorial acknowledged Internal Affairs Secretary Anne Herman and Chief Censor Dennis Tangirere’s decision to cancel the ban.

“It’s difficult to do a public about-turn – we all know that. So Herman and Tangirere deserve acknowledgement for their willingness to listen to public opinion and reverse Internal Affairs’ initial position.”

Te Tiare Association secretary and LGBTI spokesperson Valery Wichman welcomed the about-turn from the Secretary of Internal Affairs reports the Cook Islands News.

“We were happy that it was not banned or condemned but rated 18,” she said.

Fundamental human rights
“This means that our fundamental human rights have been upheld. We can now enjoy another expression of art and a good story.” 

However, the owner of the empire cinema Kathleen Napa-Bergin claimed that she was not informed about Internal Affairs decision to cancel the ban.

The cinema has not screened the film since the censor’s request to pull it 10 days ago and as its license run has now ended, it is unlikely that it will be screened again.

Cook Islands News editor Jonathan Milne hopes that this will change.

 Special screening
“I hope Empire Cinema boss Pa Napa can somehow negotiate to bring it back for a special screening – and if he does, I’ll happily pay my 11 bucks to see it,” he wrote.

“Because, by all accounts, this is not a raunchy, sexual film.”

“If anything, it is an inspiring story of a young man’s triumph over the demons of drugs, alcohol and abuse.”

“It offers hope to young adults trying to make sense of who they are in a confusing world.”

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk

A prominent Cook Islands lawyer intends to take a court challenge against the censor’s impending ban of the film Rocketman, reports the Cook Islands News.

Lawyer Heinz Matysik announced he would challenge the ban, if it proceeded.

“If the chief censor wants to roll this way, I will bring a full legal challenge and test the boundaries of our Constitution. I am serious,” he said.

READ MORE: Cook Islands to follow Samoa and ban Rocketman

Hundreds of people have already protested online, after Cook Islands News reported that chief censor Dennis Tangirere intended to ban Rocketman.

One LGBTQ community member on the island, Roger Dunfee, is mobilising his friends in California and around the world to overturn the ban.

Te Tiare Association president Regina Potini issued a pointed reminder that the Cook Islands Constitution provides for freedom of speech and expression.

“A prohibition of this film/work of art will impinge on this fundamental right guaranteed under the Cook Islands Constitution.”

Members of Te Tiare Assocation and the LGBTQ community have spoken out to express their concern, but also to show that the sentiments behind the ban are not representative of wider Cook Islands opinion.

Others, though, have taken to social media in grief or anger.

“Today I question my patriotic pride,” wrote Teherenui Koteka.

“The fact I belong to a community who in this day and age so outrightly marginalises the LGBTQ community, a community I am proud to be a part of, further illustrates why our country continuously fails to move forward in the modern day world stage.”

“This honestly makes me sad,” said Ally Donnerly. “If my country can’t accept a movie then how can they accept me?”

And Brenda said, “As a trans woman from Mangaia with a great career in aviation, I find it sad that we are not an evolving nation. More worried about your image in the Pacific than your people.”

The film, a biography of the English pop singer Elton John which depicts intimate gay sex scenes, had been showing at empire cinema for around seven days, but is believed to have been pulled from screening last Friday.

Tangirere spoke to Cook Islands News before the film was pulled, saying he was planning to ban Rocketman because it contained scenes of homosexuality.

The conservative Islamic nation of Egypt had already banned the film, and Samoa followed suit, saying the film did not “go well with the cultural and Christian beliefs of Samoa”.

News of the Cook Islands ban has made overseas headlines, and momentum against the ban is building rapidly.

“This is the wrong message that the Cook Islands wants to be sending the rest of the world” says Roger Dunfee, who postponed a flight to California to mobilise opposition to the ban.

Dunfee, who watched the movie last week, says the ban could have a “detrimental effect” on Cook Islands tourism.

“People are likely to just spend their money travelling somewhere else,” he says.

“There are kids now who see this as a complete disapproval of their lifestyle, of what they want to identify as, of who they really are,” he warns. “I know kids who have committed suicide because of these types of issues.”

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk

The movie Rocketman is likely to be banned in the Cook Islands, despite having already been in the cinema for a week, reports the Cook Islands News.

The film, a biography of English pop singer Elton John, was banned in Samoa last week due to its graphic depiction of gay sex.

“We might go the same way,” chief censor Dennie Tangirere told the Cook Island News.

READ MORE: Inside Samoa’s Rocketman ban

The proposal has worried Cook Islands’ LGBTI community, as it did across the Pacific.

Samoa’s principal censor had told local media the film did not “go well with the cultural and christian beliefs of Samoa”.

Tangirere acknowledged that other films had previously been censored in the Cook Islands on“religious grounds”.

“We have banned films here before for containing homosexual content,” he said.

Rocketman is billed as a musical fantasy about Elton John’s breakthrough years. It has received critical acclaim overseas.

It was released at the local empire cinema on June 6 and has screened about seven times since. The movie was not screened on Friday last week, with cinema management citing “technical issues”.

Cook Islands News understands the movie is unlikely to be screened again at the cinema, a family business run by Pa Napa.

When questioned as to why the film was already being screened at the cinema, Tangirere stated that he was usually provided with a list of films cinemas prior to their screening, but this did not happen last week.

So he was oblivious to the fact that Rocketman would be screened here.

“I usually watch the films before they are screened. However, Napa was late with the list last week,” Tangirere said.

The looming ban has drawn criticism from the local LGBTI community, with the secretary of Te Tiare Association Valentino Wichman saying: “Rocketman is just another film which people should have the freedom to watch.

“Banning films based on certain grounds affects people in different ways. Actions like this brings up certain views and emotions which can be damaging.”

“The ban may bring unwanted attention to members of our community and may reignite certain attitudes which are better left somewhere else. The message to the community is that this ban does not mean that we (the LGBTI community) are less normal, or that we should feel angry and sad,” said Wichman.

“We are an integral part of this community and to a large extent are socially accepted members of our society.”

In both Samoa and the Cook Islands, sodomy is an illegal act.

“These archaic laws have never been used, however the fact that they are there and can be used is a worry for our community.”

Wichman promised to follow up with the censor office regarding the ban and encouraged people to still watch the film.

“You can still get a copy from overseas and watch it in your homes.”

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

By Justin Fa’afia in Apia

The Samoa Censorship Board has banned the screening of Rocketman – a biographical movie about the life of British rock star Elton John.

“Unfortunately due to censoring issues, we have had to cancel Rocketman,” the Apollo Cinemas Samoa stated during a Facebook update of its movie screenings for the week.

The cinemas confirmed that the movie was not approved for screening.

READ MORE: Elton John protests over the censoring of Rocketman

This is the second time the Samoa Censorship Board has banned a gay biography – with the first being the movie Milk banned in 2009. This was based on the life of US gay rights activist Harvey Milk.

Samoa was only one of two countries which banned Rocketman, the other being Egypt. However, Russia has also stirred controversy by censoring parts of the film.

Directed by Dexter Fletcher and written by Lee Hall, the film follows Elton John’s early days as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music to his musical partnership with Bernie Taupin. The film is titled after John’s 1972 song “Rocket Man”.

Members of the Samoan fa’afafine community have expressed their dismay at the ban with some calling it a “disappointment”.

‘Selective morality’
The international community has also reacted with Tuisina Ymania Brown, the co-secretary general of Geneva-based non government organisation International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), calling the ban a “selective immorality” approach.

“This movie is a creative piece of work that should be celebrated as art, now we are saying that art that celebrates fa’afafines are not allowed?”

Tuisina said the decision should have been taken more seriously.

“We should not censor issues that are so open yet accept Filipino movies which seem to promote infidelity among neighbours and family members. This is the board being selective on their perceptions of immorality.”

According to Tuisina the banning of Rocketman which celebrates the life of an artist is ironic given that the Censorship Board allows movies that contain extreme violence against women, gender based violence, infidelity and other issues they perceive as immoral.

“The power of the Church has now reached into censoring the celebration of art. There are more important issues we should focus on, such as gender-based violence, Church paying taxes and other much more vital issues.”

Rocketman was released on May 30 and by June 4 had grossed US$67.2 million in the box office.

Attempts to reach the Samoa Censorship Board were unsuccessful and no public statement has been issued regarding the ban. The board consists of representatives from the Church.

Justin Fa’afia reports for Newsline Samoa.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz