Thursday, 19th November 2009 - 16:20CET
Cemetery photo-shoot offended public sentiment - Broadcasting Authority
A photo-shoot at Addolorata Cemetery for the TV programme Venere was offensive to public sentiments, the Broadcasting Authority said today.
It decided to issue a formal warning to the producers and PBS but did not impose penalties since this was the first violation by the producers.
The programme at issue was broadcast on October 10.
The BA observed that this was a lifestyle programme and the cemetery had been used as the backdrop for female models. During the hearings, the producers had argued that they did not intend to offend anyone and one of the purposes of the programme was artistic expression which, in this case, also included emphasising the beauty of the cemetery's Gothic architecture.
The Authority said it had no objection to the theme of the programme (Angels and Demons) or the attire and behaviour of the participants. But it felt it was not appropriate that a programme of this type should be filmed at the cemetery, once this offended many people whose relatives were buried there.
Furthermore, some of the scenes showed a model going around a number of graves and one of them sat on the steps of a private chapel.
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Comments
Good one Joe, whoever your are. Maybe it's time the secularists to got together to fight back. We are choking.
The Broadcasting Authority says the programme offended public sentiment. Isn't the BA aware that offending people's sentiment is not a legitimate reason for censorship? Enlightened thought offends prevailing public sentiment by definition, because it throws light on the darkness therein.
The Broadcasting Authority presides over the most degenerate broadcasting scene in the western world, and has proved impotent in dealing with the many offences against decency that take place every day. But here it has found a cause on which to reclaim public approval.
Public sentiment! Has anyone seen the sheer indignity with which people are buried in the government 'common' graves? Has anyone been to the corner of the cemetery previously called 'Il-Mizbla' (unsacred by statute). Go there and see for yourself.
The young woman is beautiful but not the photo.
http://www.xkcd.com/659/
Finally, what legislation or industry standards/policies are being broken?
Of course all this reflects the Maltese psyche's fascination with death because they are indoctrinated into believing that in fact, there is no such thing. It sounds like a Hammer film, appropriately Gothic of course. The land of the living dead. Or the land of the dead still living. Sorry, I refuse to have my days on this earth distorted out of all recognition.
Someone here used the word 'jaqq' to show distaste at the photo-shoot. We used that word as kids when we refused to eat our greens. Anyhow, a word used to show disgust at some food or other. Here used by an adult. Progress indeed!
The Broadcasting Act needs to be rewritten. There cannot be vague sentences that give absolute power on subjective interpretations.
By the way, civilised people honor the memory of their dead. They certainly do not need elaborate tombs/chapels to do so. I have always thought that this practice was pagan reminiscent of ancient and long gone cultures.
you have no respect for the dead and their relatives...cemeteries have to be respected. Yes it is like they own the place...because first of all they paid for the graves..gifieri mux se tigi int tpoggilhom fuq l qabar u taghmel l hsara. It tieni nett issa xhin allahares qatt imutlek xi hadd tal familja ghidli fejnu l qabar ha nigi naghmel loghoba futbol fuqu ta...it's called desecration
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desecration
..x nies bla rispett lejn haddihor jaqq. modelling on graves now. what's next pole dancing
I was recently in a caffe, and noticed an elderly woman, with her head laying on the table, I just went on to her and asked if she was ok. She did not reply, then another person noticed what I was doing and came along and noded her on the shoulders and she just woke up. She simply appreciated the concern we all showed towards her. THAT IS ONE NICE FEELING BELEIVE ME.
Yes, I agree with this judgement, it shows that people still have values. Values which I relate to decency and respect. If people start loosing such values, I do not need to comment further.................................... Simple as that really.
You so can't say such a statement.. "even more the Gozitans". I am a Gozitan and personally I don't see anything wrong with taking a photoshoot in a cemetery.
I am so sure that there were Maltese that objected against this idea as there were Gozitans. May I remind you that Gozo has a small population, therefore if a few people object about something you dont need to generalize. No one has the same opinion so don't act like you are open-minded and start generalizing.
Your comment "the dead sure don't care." is repulsive.
The dead are also powerless; they cannot dissent ...so they can be disregarded with impunity only - we, who are alive, can dissent on their behalf.
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Any decent civilised society will be in favour of a respectful attitude to our dead.
So cut out the stupid cant about "Self-appointed crusaders of Malta's morals"
Capisch?
G
So
For the information of Andrew Gatt, the BA is appointed by the House of Representatives under the Constitution and it is not "the usual half-dozen people arrogantly deciding, on behalf of us all". If "the dead sure don't care", the alive do care.
To all those who think that BA's decision is out of time and out of touch, please hold your snide comments and remeber that a cemetery is sacred ground and should be treated with the respect it merits. Well done BA
Definitely not, but then again I would have made my own version of this production in the Miltary Cemetries of Normandy, or a military cemetry of the British Commonwealth, or evenmore on the Monument of the Unknown Soldier. We did commemorate the War Dead lately, did we !!!
To all :
I agree. It is part of our culture. The month of November in Malta speaks for itself. Full stop.
@ John Abela
i dont see any detail that shows that you can state you is the person buried or any information about the person buried , its in a stairs, if it was on your grave than its ok, but the subject is the girl and only two crosses are seen in background...
SO....
If the producers offended the public sentiment with the photoshoot, what is The Times doing by publishing this photo every single time ????? (and if we want to be as touchy as many seem to be, in this photo there are even 3 graves visible - the two crosses and the statue which may be easily recognizable)....
So is The Times over and above any public sentiment ?
"as well as in the cemetery near Rabat". was this not offending the public sentiment. again the song Pajjiz tal Mickey mouse.
It's the usual half-dozen people arrogantly deciding, on behalf of us all, what THEY consider we should or should not see and what THEY feel would or would not offend us. Self-appointed crusaders of Malta's morals! What a joke!
Stop treating us like children, BA. Your attitude stifles creativity, quashes artistic expression and takes us back to the good old days of censorship and inquisition,
And in case you hadn't noticed, the dead sure don't care. Grow up or move over, BA.
With your reasoning, it is not permitted to broadcast a model photo shoot if in the photos there is one of the many tombstones scattered around the streets of Malta and Gozo. This is ridiculous.
Sue them???? Since when has this word become so freely used in our everyday conversations? Everyone is just shooting around the words 'Sue them' as if they were peanuts! Sue them for what? Where does it say this in the Maltese Legislation? Offending who? I have relatives buried at the Addolorata and I did not get offended with the photoshoot - anzi it was a great opportunity for the architectural beauties of this place to be exposed to the public in general. Apart from the fact that they had the necessary permission to shoot pictures at the Addolorata!
The relatives of those buried at the Addolorata should sue the authoritise and other relatives who neglect their tombs and left the place in shambles for decades!
I would like to express my solidarity with all those involved in the production of this programme. Shame on a Braodcasting Authority that does not represent Maltese society in this day and age!
Most men and women in this country cheat on each other or do many other un-catholic things like lying, stealing, defrauding and whatever else. Don't deny it - just open the newspaper.
Did any of these models fornicate on the graves? No! Did they pole dance, behave obscene or desecrated the same mentioned graves? No! So stop being difficult for the sake of being difficult. This is a beautiful cemetery as is the amazing Pere LaChaisse in Paris. If a taste full report like this can bring its shortcomings to light, the better. Or would you prefer your beloved decaying away in a delipidated cemetery nobody actually gives a toss about with nature growing galore and rats running hay-wire? I did not think so!
Well done to the producers here - at least someone is living in the 21st century.
Proset BA!