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CENSORSHIP BATTLE OVER ABEL FERRARA'S WELCOME TO NEW YORK
Distributor Edits Film Inspired By the Dominique Strauss-Kahn Case To Achieve
"ethically neutered" Version "appropriate for U.S. Audiences
New York, NY March 17th
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
As a filmmaker and a human being I detest the destruction of my film WELCOME TO
NEW YORK -- Abel Ferrara
Iconic independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara's latest film WELCOME TO NEW YORK
is at the center of a censorship lawsuit on the eve of its U.S. release March
27th.
Ferrara wrote and directed this story, inspired by the Dominique Strauss-Kahn
case,
of a French politician on trial for sexually assaulting a chambermaid in his
New York
hotel room. The film stars Gerard Depardieu, Jacqueline Bisset and is based on
a
screenplay by Abel Ferrara and C.L. Zois.
The original director's cut of WELCOME TO NEW YORK was screened in Cannes
and has already opened in France, Italy and the U.K. Ferrara has gotten some of
his
best reviews: "....a startling accont of sex and power ... a work of ragged
glory ..
Depardieu is the best he's been in year," Xan Brooks, The Guardian; "an important
movie," MaryAnn Johansson, The Flick Filosopher; "Geniune, worthwhile attempt to
understand the darkest mysteries of manhood and power," Trevor Johnston, Time
Out
London.
However, IFC Films, the U.S. distributor, is not releasing that acclaimed
version. Their
version has been re-cut and re-edited without Ferrara's participation or
permission.
The film is now substantially different from th film that Ferrara made. One of
the most
egregious changes affects the entire naure of the rape in the film. Originally
it was depicted as occurring between the two main characters. Now it is
depicted as a
flashback, a memory of the chambermaid. Ferrara is outraged: " The version
being
released in the U.S. may lead views to think that maybe she imagined it. It
does not
respect the woman who was raped at all and the fact that my name is on this
film is a
crime."
Ferrara has released the following statement:
"As a filmmaker and a human being, I detest the destruction of my film WELCOME
TO
NEW YORK now being distributed by IFC and Wild Bunch and exhibited on Showtime
and in IFC Theatres. Behind all these entities are individuals, in this case
Arianna Bocco, Jonathan Sehring and Vicente Maraval, who feel they can deny my
contractual
right of final cut, which is simply my freedom of expression. Some people wear
hoods and carry automatic weapons, others sit behind their desks but the attack
and attempted suppression of the rights of the individual are the same. I will
defend the
right of free speech till the end and I ask all who believe, as I do, that they
not support the showing of this film, on their networks, in their theatres, or
wherever."
Risky, audacious but always honest, Abel Ferrara has been directing since 1979.
Among hi many film credits are King of New York (New York Film selection 1990,)
Bad Lieutenant (one of Martin Scorsese's top 10 films of the 90's) and Mary
(winner of the Grand Jury Prize, Venice Film Festival 2005.)
Regarding WELCOME TO NEW YORK Ferrara's official biographer, Brad Stevens,
asks "How can it stand that an accomplished director can have his work re-cut
and
released without his permission? The producer and distributor have
demonstrated a
flagrant disregard for Ferrara's artistic rights. They should not have
undertaken this
project if they weren't prepared to respect the integrity of the director. If
this is
allowed to happen, no filmmaker can be certain that their work will not be
censored.
That is at the crux of this isuue: censorship."
Abel Ferrara is available for interviews.
Contact: Dianne E. Collins
917 442-3972
[email protected]
Dianne E. Collins 917 442-3972 [email protected]
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