The Quebec feature film Noémie says yeswhich deals with the vicious circle of child prostitution, was rated 16 and over by officials from the Ministry of Culture, who judged that some images could “unsettle” teenagers. A decision that reverses the team behind this project, especially since this film was designed in the hope of raising awareness among young people aged 13 to 15 about sexual exploitation.
Moreover, there is nothing very explicit in Noémie says yes, which premiered last week. Admittedly, some scenes are sometimes difficult, which goes without saying given the seriousness of the subject. But the director Geneviève Albert has obviously made the choice of restraint, preferring to suggest the sexual acts between the protagonist and her clients, rather than showing them.
Even the department’s examiners-classifiers acknowledged that Noémie says yes “do not glorify prostitution and avoid eroticizing the adolescent [le personnage principal] “. They still saw fit to prohibit it for those under 16, citing among other things that it was the average age of first sexual intercourse in Quebec.
“The crude representation of sexuality at its most unhealthy could destabilize young adolescents who are not at this stage of their sexual development, since the average age of the first sexual relationship, according to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, is 16 years old, ”they argued to the review committee formed after their initial decision was challenged by the director of the film.
The film misunderstood?
Backed by her distributor and producer, Geneviève Albert argued that her film should instead be rated 13+ so it can reach its target audience while it’s in theaters. To support her statements, the director, who is making her first feature film, cited a study which suggests that the age of entry into prostitution is 14 years on average.
But the review committee, made up of three academics, finally confirmed the initial decision of the two examiners-classifiers of the ministry two weeks ago. The duty learned that the committee was initially split on the issue. However, he ended up deciding that the film could “shake [le] development” of spectators aged 13 to 15.
“A Judeo-Christian reasoning”, denounces the distributor of the film, Louis Dussault. “I don’t think they understood the film. To have found it so hard as that, they must not go to the cinema often. There are American films of incredible violence, where you can see a person being killed at the minute; that, it does not matter, it is classified 13 years and over, ”proclaimed the president of K-Films Amérique in an interview at the To have to.
The producer of Noémie says yes, Patricia Bergeron, also finds it hard to explain the ministry’s decision. For her, it is not a question of money, but of principle. She doesn’t even know how many viewers aged 13 to 15 didn’t see the film this weekend because it was rated 16 and over. What she does know, however, is that several contributors who have seen the film at the cinema have praised the realism of the scenario.
“There is a gap between this decision and reality. These same young people of 13 to 15 years old are placed in front of so many images today; we’re talking about porn, series like Euphoria. And there, there is a film where there are many things which are not shown, and we are told that it is too much? Hello, young people have already seen worse than this! she lamented.
A subjective classification
The film tells the story of a 15-year-old girl from a disadvantaged background who runs away from a youth center to join a friend with questionable connections. Despite her reluctance, Noémie ends up being convinced by those around her to prostitute herself during the Grand Prix weekend.
This premise is unmistakably similar to that of the series Runawaybroadcast in 2017 by TVA and also rated 16 years and over even if the awareness side envelops the show.
Some will also see in Noémie says yes a little of The Goddess of Fireflies. By the themes addressed, but also because the leading role is played by rising star Kelly Depeault. In 2020, the work of Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette was initially restricted to young people under 16, but the review board eventually rated it 13+. However, the hard drug is omnipresent on the screen, and the main character never has any awareness, unlike Noémie says yes.
“I would like to know why The Goddess of Fireflies can be seen by 13-15 year olds, and not our film? It’s all very subjective,” concludes producer Patricia Bergeron.