The producers of controversial film Inxeba (The Wound) and its biggest critics claimed victory on Tuesday after the High Court in Pretoria agreed to remove an X rating from the film’s X18 classification, allowing the movie to screened in mainstream cinemas countrywide with an age 18 restriction.
The decision was agreed upon by the film’s distributors, Indigenous Films, and the Council of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) as a temporary measure until the matter is once again brought before the court for arguments on March 28. However, the film’s director John Trengove said they would continue to fight for that rating to be further reduced to the original 16LS rating given to it by the Film and Publication Board before it was readjusted by an Appeals Tribunal last month, after complaints by Contralesa and the Men & Boys Foundation.
“It was something that we would not have normally accepted but this is an interim way for people to watch the film, so we consider it a victory.”
Contralesa Gauteng Provincial Chairperson Prince Manene Tabane said that while the decision was just one battle of a war against the film, it was also a win for the body in its fight against “cultural erosion.”
The group along with the Men & Boys Foundation were among those who protested the film’s release last month, leading to several cinemas cancelling scheduled screenings of the movie after receiving death threats if it was screened.
While John said that he hoped protests would not mar Inxeba’s return to cinemas, Tabane ominously said that no promises could be made.
“We are going to be waiting until March 28. We cannot guarantee that there will be no protests. We will communicate the outcomes of this court ruling to our members, but we cannot commit ourselves to saying there will be no action because some people have not received the information. I am not a prophet. Let us see on the 28th.”
He did, however, promise to protest outside the court when the matter is heard later this month.