Why Was It Banned? - A Serbian Film

In this mini documentray we take a look back at the release of A Serbian Film in the UK and its controversial removal from the Frighfest film festival. Thanks for listening! Full english text included below

When A Serbian Film began playing international film festivals in 2010 the storm of controversy and outrage that followed it cemented its reputation as the most divisive film in modern cinematic memory.
Its provocative, graphic depictions of child abuse, incest, rape and murder have seen it repeatedly banned and censored wherever it has sought an official release. In the UK the film spearheaded a new wave of active intervention by the BBFC when a slew of extreme horror titles including a 2010 remake of I Spit On Your Grave, The Human Centipede 2, The Bunny Game and Grotesque were denied public release in their intended form. Whilst it was not refused certification A Serbian Film was the most heavily censored film in 16 years with the 18 certificate version losing 4 minutes and 12 seconds from its original running time.

In August 2010 A Serbian Film was scheduled to be shown at the renowned horror film festival FrightFest in London. The agreed standard practice for the festival was that films could be shown before they have been classified by the BBFC with Westminster council granting certificates. However the council had received a number of complaints about the film leading up to the festival and they made the unusual decision to deny the film permission to be screened unless it had been classified by the BBFC.

The film was considered by the BBFC on the 13th August 2010 and its distributor was advised that 49 cuts amounting to 3 minutes 48 seconds of footage would be necessary to achieve an 18 certificate mainly due to the combination of sexual abuse and children on screen. BBFC guidelines require cuts to remove portrayals of children in a sexualised or abusive context and images of sexual and sexualised violence which have a tendency to eroticise or endorse the behaviour.

With the likelihood of a recut version being ready for Frightfest on the 29th of August the festival organisers decided they did not wish to show a cut version of the film and pulled it from the schedule. Co-director Alan Jones stated

“Film4 FrightFest has decided not to show A Serbian Film in a heavily cut version. As a festival with a global integrity, we think a film of this nature should be shown in its entirety as per the director's intention.

When the new edit with cuts totalling 4 min 12 seconds (with additional cuts to maintain continuity) was resubmitted for a home video certification on the 29th of August  it was passed with an 18 certificate. David Cooke director of the BBFC said:

"The cuts to A Serbian Film do not detract from the message of the film but remove the most problematic images of sexual and sexualised violence. The section in the Board's Guidelines which lists the possible grounds for compulsory cuts also includes material which portrays children in a sexualised or abusive context. Whilst the Board understands that these images are intended to make a political point, that does not remove the genuine harm risks to which they give rise."

The same edit was approved for UK theatrical release in November 2010. In 2021 A Serbian Film remains unable to be seen uncut in the UK. Its reputation as one of the most notorious films of all time remains firmly in place.