Russia Bans Gaspar Noe Film ‘Love’

Gaspar Noe‘s Cannes film Love has been banned in Russia over explicit sexual content.

“[Distributor] Premium Film was denied an exhibition license for this film,” the culture ministry, which is in charge of issuing exhibition licenses, announced. “The decision is based on the fact that the film contains numerous pornographic scenes.”

The ministry wasn’t satisfied with the fact that a “softer” version from the one that screened in the official selection at Cannes this year was supposed to be released in Russia.

Love’s Russian release was previously scheduled for this fall.

So far, the movie has had one Russian screening in late June during the Moscow International Film Festival. Its surprise late-night screening drew a huge crowd.

Screenings at international festivals are exempt from a controversial regulation adopted last year, under which any public screening of a movie requires an exhibition license.

This is the second case of a movie being banned in Russia in recent years over explicit sexual content.

In 2012, Rotterdam winner Klip by Maja Milos was also denied an exhibition license.

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