Russian version of "Rocketman" movie about Elton John censored | Currently Europe | '
"Rocketman" can not be seen in full length in Russia: Moscow critics had complained after the premiere, the film would be about 20 minutes from the original missing. "All scenes with kisses, sex and oral sex between men were cut out," wrote film critic Anton Dolin on Facebook. According to his colleague Mischa Kosyrew also scenes in which drugs occur, the censorship victims.
Elton John reacted indignantly. "We strongly reject the decision to censor Rocketman for the Russian market," it said in a statement. The step of the Russian distributor is a "sad mirror of the divided world in which we continue to live, and the cruel way in which she still does not accept the love between two people," wrote the Briton in the short message service Twitter.
Culture Minister Medinski: Have nothing to do with it
Amnesty International spoke of "censorship" that "dehumanizes homosexual relationships." The human rights organization called for the screening of the film in its original form.
"Rocketman" shows the pop star's struggle with his homosexuality as well as with his drug and alcohol dependency. The film premiered on May 16 at the Cannes Film Festival and is due to come to Russian cinemas next week.
Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky assured the RIA Novosti state news agency that his ministry had nothing to do with the changes. "All this is in the decision of the distributor". The distribution company Central Partnership told the news agency TASS only that the film was "adjusted" according to Russian law.
The credits have also been changed
A controversial law in Russia has been punishing the "propagation" of homosexual relationships against minors since 2013. For "Rocketman" is anyway a minimum age of 18 years. Other films with homosexual content, such as "Bohemian Rhapsody" about rock star Freddy Mercury, were completely uncensored in Russian cinemas.
According to critic Dolin, the text in the credits of "Rocketman" was changed. In the original, viewers learn that Elton John finally finds his great love and raises two children with his partner. In the Russian version it only means that he founded an organization for the fight against AIDS.
Elton John is very popular in Russia. For the first time, the now 72-year-old musician appeared in 1979 and thus still in the Soviet era. Of the anti-gay laws in the country but he holds little and has made this clear again and again. Homosexuals are in Russia repeatedly exposed to the most severe hostility – including death threats.
pg / ml (dpa, afp)
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