censorship cont....

[Joss Winn]

Hello,

A couple of questions folowing my recent inquiry into censorship laws in Japan.
I recently received a superb film which although it got into the country
without any problems, I am still wondering whether I should show it.

It includes a few glimpses of pubic hair which isn't my concern.  It does
however, include a long, extreme close up of a man masturbating.  The film
is SPEAKING DIRECTLY by Jon Jost, and anyone familiar with it, will no
doubt appreciate why I want to show it, but I am a little hesitant because
EIGA ARTS is not a one off festival but a monthly programme and I wouldn't
want it to be closed down.
Am I over reacting?  What are the possible consequences?

Secondly, the film raised another question concerning censorship in japan.
It includes several shots taken directly from pornographic magazines and I
was wondering whether these are technically illegal, even though magazines
in japan seem to show plenty of pubic hair.  Do legal, still images from
magazines become illegal once transfered to film?

For those not familiar with SPEAKING DIRECTLY, people remain fully clothed
for most of the time. It's a political, poetic, autobiographical film essay.
It was described as "the most important American film of the early 70s" by
Millenium Film Journal and Noel Carroll calls it "breathtaking...a unique
and powerful film."



Your thoughts would be gratefully received.

Joss

Joss Winn
(EIGA ARTS)
1217 Shinden
Kubota-cho
Saga-gun
Saga-ken
849-0203

Tel. (81)-(0)-(952)68-4722