A Cut Above

The process of film classification has reached a new phase in its evolution. Niall Kitson talks to Film Censor John Kelleher, and provides an overview of the classification process and its history.

It's been a hard road for film classification in Ireland. Since the establishment of the Office of the Censor under the 1923 Censorship of Films Act, control over what we as a nation see has been a persistent source of controversy, and at times vociferous protest. As a point of intersection between art and the State, the Office inadvertently became the first line of defence in deciding who we are as a nation, and therefore what we are entitled to see in our cinemas. Previously the domain of a caste of civil servants with more time for faith than art, the Office quickly garnered a reputation as either a benevolent shield from the activities of decadent foreigners, or a closed-minded limiter of discourse, intent on preserving the mores of an 'Old Ireland' that never existed. By anyone's standards it's not an easy task to profess one knows better than one's fellow man what is good for them, especially considering the absence of any specific training; but for the past 80 or so years that is precisely what the Office has sought to do. It would also explain the character of each of the Censors themselves; often imperious and strong-willed men, famous for their zeal as much as their judgement.

In more recent times the paradigm has shifted. With the appointment of Sheamus Smith, the film industry got its foot in the door. During a distinguished term of office, Smith presided over a regime that had sufficient courage in its convictions to shift the focus away from what adults should be allowed to see to what would be potentially harmful for children to come into contact with. In 2003, following a publicly advertised competitive process, John Kelleher was appointed to the position of Film Censor. Another industry veteran, who has produced six feature films, Kelleher has already taken steps to put his own stamp on the Office. With a website under construction and a sizeable piece of research underway to gauge the state of the nation in 2004, he is keen to learn from past mistakes and present successes both at home and abroad. Intent on turning the Office into an open shop with none of the stuffiness of past administrations, he took time out to talk with Film Ireland about his first year in the job, his plans for the future and of course... Sweden.

NK: The story of the Censor's office to date has been one of a slow process of liberalisation; how do you see this story continuing?

JK: In broad terms what I want to do, what I think Sheamus Smith, Frank Hall and, to a lesser extent, Dermot Breen did, was to transform the Office from one of nanny state censorship to classification; but I think we have a lot further to go. I would like to channel the ethos of the Office towards us becoming a consumer guidance operation with a set of general guidelines to allow consumers to know the basis for our decisions, and to outline why a film is 12PG or 15PG, and so forth.

The full article is printed in Film Ireland 98