Catholic World News News Feature

Vatican Paper Deplores Exploitation in Films September 14, 1999

VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- The official Vatican newspaper has suggested that at the 56th annual Venice film festival, it has appeared that "scandal creates the marketplace."

An article in the September 14 issue of L'Osservatore Romano expressed regrets that the film festival, with its "longstanding artistic tradition," had apparently been dominated by films which exploit sex and violence for commercial purposes. In answer to the filmmakers who charge that such criticism is a form of "censorship," the newspaper replied: "The accusation of censure caused by fear of sex clouds the judgment in the same way that a slogan paralyzes the intellect."

L'Osservatore Romano said that moviegoers should look forward to the day when such festivals are again a showcase for the work of "masters who are recognized as such." The article encouraged producers to choose their products "with courage," basing their decision on esthetic judgments rather than strictly commercial standards.