Irish Museum of Modern Art rejects censorship claims after Derek Jarman film cancellation
In a statement, the museum's director Annie Fletcher said: 'We at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) are dismayed at the current supposition that we would actively censor the work of Derek Jarman and /or any artist from the LGBTQ+ community.'
The museum cancelled screenings of Jarman's experimental 1985 film The Angelic Conversation, which depicts the relationship of two gay male lovers, after a parent raised a complaint in January that it was 'harmful' to their five-year-old child.
According to a report in the Sunday Times, the complainant wrote: 'Your outdoor screen is displaying close-up footage of topless adults kissing intimately. My five-year-old daughter walks in this space.'
The film, which features Judi Dench narrating 14 Shakespeare sonnets, was showing on IMMA's Living Canvas outdoor screen on the front lawn of its Dublin gallery, but was removed from the museum's programming following the complaint. However, IMMA insisted that they have removed the film briefly out of 'an abundance of caution' and that they 'would be delighted' to programme the film again.
In the statement, Fletcher said: 'When the complaint was raised, towards the end of the film's two-week run, we made the decision to pause the screening of this work to seek clarification on the implication of showing a PG-rated film in a public domain to ensure we were not in conflict with any planning or screening legislation for art in a public space.'
Fletcher added: 'It is regrettable that the event reported on in the Sunday Times has been misconstrued in a rush to judgment.'
James Mackay, a close collaborator of Jarman's who produced many of his films including The Angelic Conversation says: 'Who would have thought that Angelic Conversation, the most tender of Derek's films, would offend. I know that we live in dark times but, really, two boys kissing with closed lips. Has it come to this?'
Responding to the initial complaint, Mary Cremin, IMMA's head of programming, said the matter would be 'reviewed internally' and said the film was certified PG and suitable for public screening.
The complaint was then referred to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland who forwarded it on to the Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO). Jarman's film, only having shown for 10 days of its planned 14-day runtime, was removed from the museum as they awaited 'professional opinion'.
Fletcher said that 'clarification has been attained' and they plan to reinstate screenings of the film, adding: 'We would like to assuage the valid disquiet of all our LGBTQ+ community that we shall continue to proudly programme inclusively across our site.'
'IMMA has been at the forefront of championing Jarman's practice, developing the first major retrospective since 1995 and a major accompanying publication. We have also purchased his works for the national collection. We have shown his films and will continue to do so as part of our public programme.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
I found my childhood diaries - people are surprised by what I did with them
Most people have kept a diary at some point in their lives. Whether it be to detail descriptions of their crush in school to logging burning aspirations of what they want to be when they grow up. There's no doubt that leafing through the pages years later can be met with a wave or nostalgia, heartbreaking sentiment or leave people cringing. But for actress Sarah Maria Lafferty when she stumbled upon old diaries she did something unexpected with them. She turned them into her craft. At this summer's Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Lafferty will perform a one-woman show called 'How to Become a Movie Star?' and bring the pages to life. Speaking to Daily Mail, ahead of the start of the festival on Friday, she revealed what it was like reading back through the diaries. 'What I found most surprising was how my core personality as a seven-year-old is so similar to me today. When I didn't get cast in the lead role as the princess in my debut play, but instead as princess #4, it really bothered me,' she said. 'However the core motivation was that I loved to perform and to be in the spotlight, so it was this primal desire to deliver when the lights are brightest which drove me to want the lead role,' she added. Lafferty, who previously lived in New York and is now a teacher in Dublin, has taken the funniest stories from her acting career and turned them into the show that she has written, produced and will star in. She draws on experiences from first being cast as that princess in the school play to appearing on Irish TV RTÉ 1 drama 'Seven Women' and performing on Broadway in 'Fáinne Óir' - a music and dance extravaganza choreographed by Riverdance star Ciara Sexton. 'How to Become a Movie Star?' is a comedy about the adventure of living an actor's life and follows its main character's unique plan to become a movie star by training to be a teacher. Lafferty kept a diary for much of her life, and it took months of sifting through the pages to find and rewrite the funniest parts of her story. Despite it being somewhat autobiographical Lafferty has changed the names of some of the characters. Lafferty said: 'I've a large collection of diaries and I'm always writing new entries. A few years back, it occurred to me that there were some funny stories that could make a play. 'I wanted to write a show that celebrates the pursuit of a dream. This isn't about an obsession with celebrity or fame, but about a love of acting and performance. 'I know it's a cliché, but for good reason, because life is about the journey and the pursuit of something special. I hope everyone in the audience can relate to chasing something seemingly impossible, but still enjoying the adventure. 'I'm often the butt of the joke myself, so I'm not afraid to own my mistakes, but that's what I think is relatable about the script,' she added. She added that against the backdrop of increasing social media, where people often record their thoughts, it is important to keep a diary as 'a unique way to make sense of your own life'. She said: 'I've always thoroughly enjoyed writing a diary. Whether it's a form of therapy, or just a historical record. 'There's something about a person's unique handwriting on paper, which is a form of communication that is uniquely enjoyable and personal.' Lafferty previously performed 'The Woman He Lived With' at the Fringe in 2022 and 'The Bad Daters' at the 2023 festival. 'How to Become a Movie Star?' will be shown at The Space @ Surgeons' Hall, Theatre 3 during the festival at 4pm on Aug 1-9, 11-16 and 18-23.
Times
15 minutes ago
- Times
The lesson of Lily Allen's time-out: every podcaster deserves a break
Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver, Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe are 'always on'. In podcast parlance, that is — I can't vouch for them socially. Where other shows have seasons, these presenting double acts release episodes twice weekly, year-round. With the holidays upon us, I have been wondering: how do 'always on' podcasters take a break? With group-presented shows like The News Agents or Americast, the rest of the team can pick up the slack. But duo shows like Miss Me? with Allen and Oliver, Parenting Hell with Beckett and Widdicombe and all of Goalhanger's The Rest Is… formats rely on the specific dynamic of their presenting pair.
Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Brooks Nader suffers very racy wardrobe malfunction in skimpy dress as she parties in Saint-Tropez
Brooks Nader commanded attention when she was spotted stepping out in Saint-Tropez for a night on the town this weekend. The 28-year-old supermodel has been basking in the delights of Europe this summer, including taking a viral trip to Wimbledon. Now she has made her way down to the South of France, where she was glimpsed heading towards the upscale club VIP Room by the waterfront. She was decked out in a peekaboo black gown that was perfectly fitted to highlight her enviably svelte frame as she pounded the pavement en route to the venue. Sharpening her unmistakable features with makeup, she let her caramel-colored locks cascade freely over her shoulders in luscious waves. Her outfit was so revealingly cut that she briefly suffered a wardrobe malfunction on the street, as one of the slender straps covering her bust drifted off to one side. Brooks' latest blunder comes after she demonstrated her healthy sense of humor about herself while addressing an outfit mishap at Wimbledon. The sizzling sensation stuck to the themes of summertime and tennis, slipping into a white skirt for the world-famous tournament. But while she was in public, her period started and she bled through the fabric, with stains visible along the back of the skirt. She laughed off the snafu on TikTok, posting a video of herself getting confidently up from a table only for her sisters to start cringing at her. At that point Brooks turned around and the shot ran down the length of her outfit, so that the stains were in clear view on camera. The Baton Rouge-born clotheshorse poked fun at herself the in text over the video as well, writing: 'tries to be chic,' and then: 'Starts [blood emoji] at Wimbledon.' Fans leapt into the comments to praise her for being 'real' and 'NORMALIZING it,' with one writing: 'A canon event for all us girlies.' 'The one time you wear something non sheer and maxi,' joked one commenter with crying, praying and heart emoji - earning a like from Brooks. Brooks waved off the mishap and sat cheerfully in the audience at Wimbledon that day, with her sister Sarah Jane right beside her. She had another wardrobe malfunction in April at the Fashion Los Angeles Awards, where her structured dress drifted forward at one point and exposed her left nipple. Her latest outing comes three months after confirmed she has once again split from Dancing With The Stars pro Gleb Savchenko, 41. Brooks and Gleb started dating while competing as a team on Dancing With The Stars last autumn, triggering allegations they were engaged in a 'showmance.' They briefly broke up late last year but rekindled their romance, until it emerged in early April that Brooks had decided to leave him. Brooks' sister Grace has accused Gleb of being unfaithful, which he staunchly denied, insisting he is 'not a cheater' or a 'f***boy,' via E! News. Gleb was previously married to Russian artist Elena Samodanova for 14 years until she filed for divorce near the end of 2020. Their acrimonious split played out in the headlines, with Elena accusing Gleb of repeated infidelity and Gleb denying her allegations. Meanwhile, Brooks was seen chatting with Tom Brady at Michael Rubin's star-studded Fourth Of July party in 2024, setting off an avalanche of dating rumors. The sighting came days after she shared a kiss with Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece and Denmark in the functions leading up to Olivia Culpo's wedding. Brooks separated from her husband Billy Haire in May 2024 after four years of marriage, with a source informing the split was amicable. Billy, who tied the knot with Brooks in December 2019, works as a vice president at The Arena Group, which published Sports Illustrated until earlier this year. Brooks first rose to fame by winning the Sports Illustrated Swim Search in 2019, and last year she was featured on the cover of the Swimsuit Issue. She and her sisters Mary, Grace and Sara are now all starring together on a reality show called Love Thy Nader, slated to bow on Hulu and Freeform this summer.
