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Ciao Bella
Director:Mani Maserrat Agah
Writer:Jens Jonsson
Release Date:3 August 2007 (Sweden)
Genre: Drama
Plot Outline:Mustafa Moradi is aching to find a girlfriend. On the other end of the city, Linnea is desperately searching for a guy with style, courage and a burning passion.
Plot Synopsis:This plot synopsis is empty. Add a synopsis
Because this project is categorized as being in production, the data is subject to change; some data could be removed completely.
In surprising news, Variety reports that the Swedish film Ciao Bella has been pulled from the Norwegian International Film Festival due to controversy about its "graphic sex scenes." Variety's Gunnar Rehlin says that the picture, which opened in its native land earlier this month, "carries a G rating in Sweden where sex, even among young people, is not considered shocking. By comparison Borat, R-rated in the U.S., also received a G rating in Sweden." Now that a base line for comparison has been set, what's so shocking about Ciao Bella?
I found a Swedish-language review at Moviezine which appears quite positive; I don't read Swedish but I'm guessing that a rating of 4 out of 5 is good. Moviezine embedded a YouTube trailer for the film, which is NSFW but doesn't promote the sex scenes out of proportion to the rest of the story. The official site is entirely in Swedish. According to an unofficial IMDB synopsis, an immigrant Iranian teenage boy finds that girls just want him as their friend. When his soccer team heads cross town to compete in a championship series, he decides to pretend to be Italian so he can improve his romantic possibilities (shades of Breaking Away). Meanwhile, a bored suburban girl is looking for a stylish, passionate boyfriend. When the two meet, sparks -- and, evidently, clothes -- fly. Both characters are reported to be 16 years of age.
Is Norway really more conservative than Sweden when it comes to the depiction of young people having sex on screen? Director Mani Maserrat-Agah told Variety that foreign distributors want the sex scenes cut: "I'm in shock over the fact that in 2007 we still find it hard to depict youth sexuality on film." Personally, I'm surprised that the Norwegian festival would pull the film; why not let people see it and decide for themselves if it's too graphic?
Swedish youth pic "Ciao Bella" is having trouble securing an international release because of graphic sex scenes.
Pic, which opened on Aug.3 and notched up a respectable 30,000 admissions in 10 days, carries a G rating in Sweden where sex, even among young people, is not considered shocking. By comparison "Borat," R-rated in the U.S., also received a G rating in Sweden.
Foreign distribs want the sex scenes cut if "Ciao Bella" is to be distributed elsewhere, said helmer Mani Maserrat-Agah.
"My first reaction was 'never,' but now I understand that this is serious," he said. "I'm in shock over the fact that in 2007 we still find it hard to depict youth sexuality on film."
Due to the controversy, pic has been pulled from screenings at the 35th Norwegian Intl. Film Festival (Haugesund), which ends on Friday.
Writer:Jens Jonsson
Release Date:3 August 2007 (Sweden)
Genre: Drama
Plot Outline:Mustafa Moradi is aching to find a girlfriend. On the other end of the city, Linnea is desperately searching for a guy with style, courage and a burning passion.
Plot Synopsis:This plot synopsis is empty. Add a synopsis
Because this project is categorized as being in production, the data is subject to change; some data could be removed completely.
In surprising news, Variety reports that the Swedish film Ciao Bella has been pulled from the Norwegian International Film Festival due to controversy about its "graphic sex scenes." Variety's Gunnar Rehlin says that the picture, which opened in its native land earlier this month, "carries a G rating in Sweden where sex, even among young people, is not considered shocking. By comparison Borat, R-rated in the U.S., also received a G rating in Sweden." Now that a base line for comparison has been set, what's so shocking about Ciao Bella?
I found a Swedish-language review at Moviezine which appears quite positive; I don't read Swedish but I'm guessing that a rating of 4 out of 5 is good. Moviezine embedded a YouTube trailer for the film, which is NSFW but doesn't promote the sex scenes out of proportion to the rest of the story. The official site is entirely in Swedish. According to an unofficial IMDB synopsis, an immigrant Iranian teenage boy finds that girls just want him as their friend. When his soccer team heads cross town to compete in a championship series, he decides to pretend to be Italian so he can improve his romantic possibilities (shades of Breaking Away). Meanwhile, a bored suburban girl is looking for a stylish, passionate boyfriend. When the two meet, sparks -- and, evidently, clothes -- fly. Both characters are reported to be 16 years of age.
Is Norway really more conservative than Sweden when it comes to the depiction of young people having sex on screen? Director Mani Maserrat-Agah told Variety that foreign distributors want the sex scenes cut: "I'm in shock over the fact that in 2007 we still find it hard to depict youth sexuality on film." Personally, I'm surprised that the Norwegian festival would pull the film; why not let people see it and decide for themselves if it's too graphic?
Swedish youth pic "Ciao Bella" is having trouble securing an international release because of graphic sex scenes.
Pic, which opened on Aug.3 and notched up a respectable 30,000 admissions in 10 days, carries a G rating in Sweden where sex, even among young people, is not considered shocking. By comparison "Borat," R-rated in the U.S., also received a G rating in Sweden.
Foreign distribs want the sex scenes cut if "Ciao Bella" is to be distributed elsewhere, said helmer Mani Maserrat-Agah.
"My first reaction was 'never,' but now I understand that this is serious," he said. "I'm in shock over the fact that in 2007 we still find it hard to depict youth sexuality on film."
Due to the controversy, pic has been pulled from screenings at the 35th Norwegian Intl. Film Festival (Haugesund), which ends on Friday.
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