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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 3 June 2019

Russians criticize heavily edited version of Elton John film

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian Anton Dolin said on Face-
gay rights activists and book, criticizing the cuts. He
cultural figures are criticiz- said the “most repellent”
ing the local distributor of aspect of the cuts was the
a new movie about Elton removal of the statement
John for cutting scenes in it at the end of the movie
depicting homosexual ac- that John eventually found
tivity and drug use. “the love of his life” and
The deletions became has raised children with the
known last week after a man he married in 2014.
Moscow screening of the Nonetheless, Dolin said,
film “Rocketman.” “the theme of the hero’s
The Moscow movie theater homosexuality is still central
Pioner, noted for its adven- in the film.”
turous programming, said Ksenia Sobchak, a liberal TV
it would ask for an original star who ran for president in
cut of the movie with Rus- 2016, said purging all ho-
sian subtitles. But the the- mosexual content from a
ater said Sunday it had not film about the singer would
received a response from make it meaningless.
the distributor. A joint statement from John
Russian news agencies re- and the filmmakers said
ported that the distribution Director Dexter Fletcher, actor Stephen Graham, musician Elton John, songwriter Bernie Taupin “that the local distribu-
company said the scenes and producer David Furnish, from left to right, pose at the UK Film Premiere of Rocketman at the tor has edited out certain
were cut to conform with Odeon Luxe in London, Monday, May 20, 2019. scenes, denying the audi-
Russian law but that the Associated Press ence the opportunity to
Ministry of Culture said it Facebook statement. “We animosity toward gays re- Trailers for the Russian see the film as it was in-
was not involved in the de- urge people not to support mains strong. In 2013, the version of “Rocketman” tended, is a sad reflection
cision. such a policy and not to go country passed a law ban- showed it carrying a rating of the divided world we still
“In this way, the Russian dis- see the Russian version of ning so-called propagan- restricting it to viewers 18 live in and how it can still
tributor indirectly supports the film.” da supporting non-tradi- years or older. be so cruelly unaccepting
homophobia,” the Rus- Although homosexuality is tional sexuality from being “So, one day we woke up of the love between two
sian LGBT Network said in a not criminalized in Russia, made available to minors. in Saudi Arabia,” film critic people.”q