In Three Months of the “Protection of Traditional Values” Film Law, the Culture Ministry Has Revoked Distribution Licenses for Seven Movies

In three months of the “protection of traditional values” film law, the Culture Ministry has revoked distribution licenses for seven movies

At least seven films have been stripped of their distribution licenses at the initiative of the Ministry of Culture since March 1, when the law “on protecting traditional values” in cinema came into force in the country. Verstka found the relevant information in the ministry’s registry.

In March, licenses were revoked for three foreign films that touch on LGBT relationships. These were two films by Canadian director Xavier Dolan, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan and Matthias & Maxime, as well as the French film Portrait of a Lady on Fire, which won two awards at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

Why the licenses were revoked is unknown. The registry says this happened in accordance with Culture Ministry orders No. 564, No. 510, and No. 563. These documents have not been published in the public domain. At the same time, the first film had a distribution license valid until 2034, while the latter two had licenses until 2029.

In addition, in March and April four more Russian films lost their licenses: the crime action films Decider 2 and Decider: The Noughties, the erotic film Russian Lolita, and the comedy To Paris about Soviet servicemen who went AWOL.

🩵On March 1, the law on protecting “traditional values” in cinema came into force in Russia, expanding the powers of the Ministry of Culture. The ministry now has the right to deny distribution licenses to films that “discredit” or deny “traditional values.”

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