Lebanon: homelessness, prostitution and sexuality censored

Lebanon: homelessness, prostitution and sexuality censored

Mark Abi Rached’s film HELP! was banned just four days after its release in Lebanon, despite being previously approved by the officer in charge of censorship.

HELP! addresses sex, prostitution, sexuality, homelessness and drugs in Lebanon and originally received firm approval from the authorities. Although given authorisation to be screened, a later bureaucratic change was introduced by a new censorship officer who revoked approval at the last minute. According to the Center for Defending Media and Cultural Freedoms in Beirut, the banning of the film was the result of complaints received from various Catholic institutions over the film’s content and its alleged effect on public morals.

ARTICLE 19 Artist Alert: April 2009

NOTES TO EDITORS:

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