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France Restricts ‘Salafistes,’ Film on Islamic Radicals France Restricts ‘Salafistes,’ Film on Islamic Radicals
(about 2 hours later)
PARIS — The French Culture Ministry ruled Wednesday that a new documentary film on Islamic radicals was unsuitable for minors, saying that it offered images of violence that were “sometimes unbearable” and interviews with members of Al Qaeda and other extremist figures that provided a platform for propaganda.PARIS — The French Culture Ministry ruled Wednesday that a new documentary film on Islamic radicals was unsuitable for minors, saying that it offered images of violence that were “sometimes unbearable” and interviews with members of Al Qaeda and other extremist figures that provided a platform for propaganda.
The documentary, “Salafistes,” will also be accompanied by a warning about the nature of its contents. It shows one leader of the Salafists, who practice a fundamentalist form of Islam, expressing support for the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States and another justifying the amputation of hands as a punishment under Sharia, the legal code of Islam. They also speak freely about their opinions on the inferiority of women.The documentary, “Salafistes,” will also be accompanied by a warning about the nature of its contents. It shows one leader of the Salafists, who practice a fundamentalist form of Islam, expressing support for the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States and another justifying the amputation of hands as a punishment under Sharia, the legal code of Islam. They also speak freely about their opinions on the inferiority of women.
The decision to restrict a movie to those 18 and over is usually reserved for films with pornographic content or extremely violent scenes, and is very rare for documentaries in France, which has been grappling with how to balance freedom of speech and expression with national security after a series of deadly attacks last year. This month, the distributors of “Made in France,” a film about fictional homegrown jihadists, decided to cancel its release in theaters, citing security concerns.The decision to restrict a movie to those 18 and over is usually reserved for films with pornographic content or extremely violent scenes, and is very rare for documentaries in France, which has been grappling with how to balance freedom of speech and expression with national security after a series of deadly attacks last year. This month, the distributors of “Made in France,” a film about fictional homegrown jihadists, decided to cancel its release in theaters, citing security concerns.
“Salafistes,” co-directed by François Margolin and Lemine Ould Salem, a journalist from Mauritania, stirred controversy last week, when it was to be screened at the FIPA festival in Biarritz in southwestern France. Just before the first screening the National Center of Cinematography, which gives out movie ratings, called the festival to say that the documentary was “degrading human dignity” because it showed images of a police officer killed in the attacks on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo last year. In response, the festival restricted the screening only to those with credentials, such as reviewers and journalists. The documentary starts with a tour of Timbuktu, Mali, under the occupation of jihadists in 2012 and ends with propaganda images of Islamic State in 2015. The images inspired the movie “Timbuktu,” directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
“We wanted to show what it was like to live under the Sharia when we started the project, but then Daesh emerged and we had to put it in the synopsis,” said François Margolin, who directed the film along with Lemine Ould Salem, a journalist from Mauritania, using another term for Islamic State.
“Salafistes” when it was to be screened at the FIPA festival in Biarritz in southwestern France. Just before the first screening the National Center of Cinematography, which gives out movie ratings, called the festival to say that the documentary was “degrading human dignity” because it showed images of a police officer killed in the attacks on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo last year. In response, the festival restricted the screening only to those with credentials, such as reviewers and journalists.
The cinematography center recommended that the film receive an under-18 restriction and warning message. Mr. Margolin and Mr. Ould Salem cut that scene and submitted the new version to the center on Tuesday.The cinematography center recommended that the film receive an under-18 restriction and warning message. Mr. Margolin and Mr. Ould Salem cut that scene and submitted the new version to the center on Tuesday.
But this change in the editing was not enough. After watching the second version, Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin, who has oversight on ratings, agreed with the opinion of the center, which argued that the documentary did not provide any counterpoint to the extremists, some of whom called for the murder of Jews and Christians.But this change in the editing was not enough. After watching the second version, Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin, who has oversight on ratings, agreed with the opinion of the center, which argued that the documentary did not provide any counterpoint to the extremists, some of whom called for the murder of Jews and Christians.
Mr. Margolin said he had not expected the film to be rated at all. “The interviews explain the ideology of these people, and the propaganda images are here to show in practice how their ideas work,” he said Tuesday. ”People are intelligent enough to understand the contrast between the sweet discourse of these people and the violence of their ideology in practice.”Mr. Margolin said he had not expected the film to be rated at all. “The interviews explain the ideology of these people, and the propaganda images are here to show in practice how their ideas work,” he said Tuesday. ”People are intelligent enough to understand the contrast between the sweet discourse of these people and the violence of their ideology in practice.”
Claude Lanzmann, the director of “Shoah,” the documentary about the Holocaust, defended “Salafistes” in an op-ed article in the newspaper Le Monde on Monday. Claude Lanzmann, the director of the Holocaust documentary “Shoah,” defended “Salafistes” in an op-ed in the newspaper Le Monde on Monday. But an analysis in another French newspaper, Le Figaro, said that the film ultimately resembles “that which it is ostensibly fighting — Salafist propaganda.”
At the film’s Paris premiere on Tuesday night, the audience was split, with some arguing that the movie had the courage to “look evil in the eye” and show it for what it was, while others thought it amounted only to propaganda.At the film’s Paris premiere on Tuesday night, the audience was split, with some arguing that the movie had the courage to “look evil in the eye” and show it for what it was, while others thought it amounted only to propaganda.
The rating is also proving to be a financial blow to the directors. “Salafistes” had been scheduled to open in 30 theaters nationwide before the rating but will instead open in only three.The rating is also proving to be a financial blow to the directors. “Salafistes” had been scheduled to open in 30 theaters nationwide before the rating but will instead open in only three.
”We are going to lose a lot of money despite the fact that we risked our lives to shoot some scenes.” Mr. Margolin said.”We are going to lose a lot of money despite the fact that we risked our lives to shoot some scenes.” Mr. Margolin said.