Visions of Ecstasy

Visions of Ecstasy
File:Visions of Ecstasy UK DVD cover.JPG UK DVD cover
Directed by	Nigel Wingrove
Produced by	John Stephenson
Written by	Nigel Wingrove
Starring	Louise Downie Elisha Scott Dan Fox
Music by	Steven Severin
Cinematography	Ricardo Coll
Edited by	Steve Graham
Release dates	1989 (1989)
Running time	18 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Visions of Ecstasy is a 1989 British short film that became the only work to be refused a certification by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) on the grounds of blasphemy. The film, which was directed by Nigel Wingrove, was banned because it featured sexualised scenes of Saint Teresa of Ávila with the body of Jesus on the cross. The BBFC felt that any release of the film could be liable for prosecution under the common law offence of blasphemous libel.

As cutting the scenes would remove approximately half of the film's content, the board decided to refuse certification altogether. The distributor appealed to the European Court of Human Rights but the BBFC's decision to reject certification was upheld.

In 2008 the blasphemy laws in the UK were repealed. In January 2012 the BBFC gave the film an 18 certificate with no cuts or alterations to the original film's content.

Conviction

Main article: Blasphemy law in the United Kingdom

A secondary school science teacher was arrested for selling Wingrove's Visions of Ecstasy in February 1992 in Birmingham. Michael Newman, an atheist, then repeated the act of selling the video in public near to Canterbury Cathedral. This led to a debate with the Bishop of Rochester on BBC Radio Kent. Newman later resigned as a teacher following protests from Christian parents. Newman also made an appearance on Channel Four’s Comment in August 1992.

See also

• List of films banned in the United Kingdom

External links

• Visions of Ecstasy at IMDb
• BBFC - Case Study
• The Quietus Interviews Steven Severin [1]