In Belgium as in other countries, film had a bad reputation from the start. Showmanship for the masses, a spectacle sedentarized by dark rooms in which God knows what can happen; film was never considered an art form, rather a kind of low entertainment. And a dangerous one at that, considering its capacity to impress and influence. The authorities and other defenders of moral conduct didn’t wait long to start regulating the medium. The same principle applies everywhere: to protect the weak-minded (typically children, but also the natives of Belgian Congo, for example, or the working class in general) who may be particularly susceptible to impulsive behavior or coercion. It was imperative to uphold public order and protect proper social values.
Yet in Belgium there’s that pesky, progressive Constitution which guarantees freedom from censorship. Film regulations would therefore need to be disguised as a kind of child protection. Starting in 1920, films could be distributed freely, but couldn’t be seen by children. In order to receive a "child-friendly" certificate, a film would have to be evaluation by a Commission. This Commission would ensure that the proper moral codes, Judeo-Christian values, and social authorities were upheld and sometimes even recommend edits or changes.The Commission, however, was not allowed to push a political or ideological point of view (although it sometimes forgot to comply). In practice, the economic consequences of excluding family audiences forced distributors to enter into the logic of the censors. Outside of this official body, other institutions could also be involved: the Church, very influential, local authorities in the name of public order, and the justice system which could ban a film (see "L’empire des sens"). Production and distribution in Belgium also operates in such a way that governments play a major role by allocating financial resources that make or break a film production.
In a country where censorship doesn’t exist, there’s a lot to discuss. And discuss we shall, together with Daniël Biltereyst, professor of cinema and media studies at the University of Ghent and expert in film censorship.
(in French)
08.12 > 19:00
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