| Visions of Ecstasy | |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Editing by | Steve Graham |
| Running time | 18 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Visions of Ecstasy is a 1989 short (19 minutes) film directed by Nigel Wingrove.
It was refused certification by the British Board of Film Classification because of scenes featuring a sexualised representation of Saint Teresa of Ávila caressing the body of Jesus on the cross. The BBFC felt that the scenes could potentially make the film liable to prosecution for 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 took his case to the European Court of Human Rights where the BBFC's decision to reject certification was upheld.
Michael Newman, a secondary school science teacher and an atheist, was arrested under England’s blasphemy law for selling Wingrove's blasphemous video, “Visions of Ecstasy” in February 1992 in Birmingham. His arrest was reported in the Birmingham daily press and The Guardian. He repeated the act of selling the video in public, near to Canterbury Cathedral, reported by Kent Mercury on its front page. He debated with the Bishop of Rochester on morning BBC Radio Kent. He was forced to resign from his school position due to protests from Christian parents, the headteacher wanted Michael to inform all future schools he applied to of his arrest. Michael sought support from 'Article 18' who offered to help, but he decided that it would ultimately not be in the interest of the school children he had taught if he was to fight publicly.He appeared on Channel Four’s “Comment” [1]quoting Francesco Ferrer, "Let no more gods or exploiters be served. Let us learn rather to love each other." Written on his prison cell wall before he was unjustly executed by a military court martial.[2]
The blasphemy laws in the UK were repealed in 2008, and there are now plans to release the film. A date has not yet been announced.