The case for Stitching continues
A priest told the Court this morning he would have classified Anthony Nielson's play Stitching 18R, meaning all adults with reservations.
Fr Joe Abela, a member on the film analysis and classification board of the Church, was testifying in Unifaun Theatre's case and Malta's decision to ban the play.
He said the story was one of suffering and very human. "It is an opportunity for people to try to understand the suffering that people go through when they have lost a child."
Stitching is about the relationship of a couple, where the woman gets pregnant and they decide to keep the baby in a bid to save their relationship, which was experiencing problems.
The relationship continues to disintegrate and the child dies in a traffic accident while the parents are arguing. They both carry the guilt of the child’s death. This reunites them but the woman appears as a prostitute to distance herself from the emotions of reuniting. She slips into mental illness and later mutilates herself in an attempt to become a virgin.
It takes place on two timelines with the story getting together in the end.
Mr Justice Joseph Zammit McKeon referred to an argument in the play where the husband tells the wife he would urinate on her. He asked Fr Abela if he would still have approved the play, if, hypotetically speaking, this was actually acted out. Fr Abela replied in the affirmative.
When asked about interpretation, Fr Abela said that even his clear and concise Sunday sermons were given a million and one interpretations.
When asked if the author had to use such language to portray suffering, Fr Abela said it was ordinary language used by everyday people.
"Swearing is in our culture... I'm not saying I agree with it but it is," he said.
Also testifying this morning was Mr Nielson who said the play was written in 2002 and it first premiered in London. It has since travelled the world winning the best play by Timeout Magazine in 2002.
Asked if the play would lose any of its significance should swear words be removed, Mr Nielson said that every word was there for a reason.
Pia Zammit, the main actress said the cast believed Stitching was a valid play and they asked priests, psychologists, doctors and lawyers to watch it. The feedback was positive.
The next hearing is in September.
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pcallus
Jun 21st 2009, 22:12
as the great Salman Rushdie put it:
What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exsist.
GiovDeMaretino@ Davis Sammut.
Jun 20th 2009, 08:24
Jien ma jinteressani xejn jekk Stitches tintweriex jew le bhalma l-anqas dhalt fil-mertu ta''films jintwerew jew le. Jien semplicement saqsejt kif Stitches kienet mizmuma waqt li certu cinema ilu snin juri biss hard core porn u qisu ma gara xejn. HEKK fhimt Sur Sammut?
Michael Mifsud
Jun 20th 2009, 08:23
Dear Fr. Abela, with your testimony in court you have done a great service to Maltese society. Well done and thank you! What a relief to hear such an intelligent man speak with so much realism and objectivity. On the other hand...how sad and pathetic that in this very very very little country we had to come to this point in order to seek some form of freedom of artistic expression. This, coupled with the blackout we had on Tuesday...a great cocktail indeed!
E.azzopardi
Jun 20th 2009, 08:16
kull meta jinqala xi paroli fuq ic- censura iktar tigbed interess u hekk iktar nies tkun trid taraha bhalma gara fil kaz tal film da vinici code kulhadd rrid jarah u jaqra ktieb,jien nahseb li ta min inhallu ghal min irid imur jaraha jara u jekk hemm min hu xi ftit mohhu maghluq joqghod lura u ma jmurx imma mhux jaghmel il-batibeki.
R. Borg
Jun 20th 2009, 08:02
Is this Iran? or Malta?
laurence schembri
Jun 20th 2009, 08:01
@ Giovanni.Your continous remarks put doubts in people`s mind, you are obsessed with this particular cinema. Why? If one want to watch a blue film it is his prerogative, besides, in this day and age on Internet one only has to tap a word and you have at your diposal thousands of such films. So what is the big deal about this cinema?
I have been to the Royal Court Theatre and watched one of Anthony Nielson`s plays, oddly enough the name of the play was "The Censors". Nobody held a gun at my head, I willingly wemt to the Theatre because I`m an adult and can make-up my own mind.
It is time that this country moved into the 21st Century.
Lincoln Spiteri
Jun 20th 2009, 00:04
One should applaud Fr Jon Abela for his stand. Nice to see a man of religion taking a secular view on art. And following the court's recent rulings in cases against lap dancers and alleged brothels it will be interesting to see how this will end. If it goes against then I guess I will no longer be fit to vote, drive a car or write a song.
victorvella
Jun 19th 2009, 23:05
I believe that everyone should be free to watch what he/she wants but let me remind one and all look at United Kingdom watch the youths destroy the country as much a the politicians are doing, this is all thanks to lack of moral.
Davis Sammut
Jun 19th 2009, 23:03
A bit pathetic Mr De Martino. Why not live and let live as long as no harm is done?. Guess you are just as much of a busybody as those self proclaimed guardians of our morality.
Edward Fenech
Jun 19th 2009, 22:42
The holy inquisition is back! Where's you placing the stake?
Kevin Cassar
Jun 19th 2009, 22:06
People show how ignorant they are when they are intolerant. They think that just because something is not good for them, it's not good for anyone and no one has the right to do it. Others think that people are not mature enough to choose what is good for them, like they are the ones that are illuminated or something. This thing used to work when the church clergy were the only ones who were educated and knew how to read and write, but it's not the middle ages anymore. I shall give an example with something that happened in the USA, where a prominent figure was taken to court because he was caught masturbating in a restaurant toilet. Their argument was that the restaurant is a public place even though the toilet door was closed. Ironically these people never seemed to question how he was seen doing what he was behind a closed door. Their argument was that just because it was behind a closed door it still was not private. Duh??? Many people who are objecting to this play are quoting religious and moral motives. Have they forgotten "Thou shalt not judge!"
GiovDeMartino@A Abela
Jun 19th 2009, 21:02
Thanks for the information. Maybe my continuous remarks have had some effect. Who knows?
Joe Fenech
Jun 19th 2009, 20:38
GiovDeMartino and A Abela:
As if people go to cinema anymore to watch porn?!!!
Why don't we try and censor the internet?!!!
Joe Fenech
Jun 19th 2009, 20:35
"Fr Joe Abela, a member on the film analysis and classification board of the Church"
Har, har...didn't know this existed. Long live our ecclesiastical state!!!
A Abela
Jun 19th 2009, 20:25
Mr De Martino: The cinema in question has "NO SHOWS" at the moment
carmel zammit
Jun 19th 2009, 19:03
minn jogbu lmur jara immur minn le joqod biekwitu d dar ara jien nipreferi nara lion king jew il phamtom of the opera ha nitpaxxa bil muzika milli noqod nisma xi hadd jghid bil "golden shower"id dinja hekk sejra irridu nuru ruhna li ahna cool kulhadd minn halqu jiekol.some like it dirty.some have a one track mind.whats the big deal? mhux xorta id dagha u l hmieg ser jibqa issir.give the go ahead and you will be surprised by the kind of ppl who go and see it.ic censura ghada zmiena ma ghadix taghmel sens
Franco Farrugia
Jun 19th 2009, 18:21
Speaking about real-life farces and drama, what's this about the Court having to wait till September to continue hearing the case?
A.Portelli
Jun 19th 2009, 18:19
Imagine.. had the woman been Black and the man not, and he peed on her in the play. It would not have dragged on like this.
Adrian Cachia
Jun 19th 2009, 18:14
I do not know who the members of the board are but having a member of the church give the play a rating instead of banning it is making me ask a lot of questions :S
GiovDeMartino
Jun 19th 2009, 18:14
WHAT A FARCE. This play hasa been banned while a particular cinema has been screening hard core porn for such a long time w/o anyone raising a finger to protest. Why are the board of censors and the police auth. refusing to comment? WHY?
D. Borg
Jun 19th 2009, 18:07
Il-poplu matur bizzejjed biex jiggudika hu stess x'inhu tajjeb u hazin. Dejjem irid ikun hemm xi hadd li jaqbez u jipprova jghidilna x'ghandna naghmlu u ma naghmlux qisna tfal zghar.
D Attard
Jun 19th 2009, 17:25
What a farce that a well written play which has been performed to acclaim across the western World should find itself on this Island to be banned by busybodies who are determined to control our lives and insult our intelligence. Let those who object not see this play if it so upsets them,but they have absolutely no right to deny those of us that do want to see it and perhaps learn something from it. Censorship in this day and age is a ridiculous and outmoded concept.We might as well ban the internet,all mobile phones and even television.
T Mifsud
Jun 19th 2009, 17:24
SEPTEMBER? Why such a long time to decide a case of a production which probably has time schedule?