Boycott demanded for "The Pianist"

Written by James Russell
Published February 17, 2003

A boycott is being demanded of the new Roman Polanski film by a child protection group called the Phoenix Survivors.

Child protection campaigners have called for a UK-wide boycott of Roman Polanski's Oscar-nominated film The Pianist because of the director's child sex conviction. [...]
Referring to the decision to nominate Polanski for an Oscar spokesperson Shy Keenan said: "To those who have turned their blind eye, who are you to forgive? Would you if it was your child?
"It is an astonishing and perverted irony that The Pianist should be nominated alongside Chicago with its storyline based on how a man set out to make a murderer so famous that, in the end, no one, could convict or punish them for their crime.
"They may forgive the crime, even if they were not the victim of it, but unless you treat the sickness the crime will happen again."

Hmm. By my count The Pianist is the seventh film he's made since the underage girl business in 1977, yet I don't recall anyone demanding a boycott of Tess, Frantic, Witness, Bitter Moon, Death and the Maiden or The Ninth Gate. Surely this Phoenix Survivors organisation isn't just picking on him now because he's in the news with his Oscar nomination and because they're trying to draw attention to themselves in attacking him? Where was the fuss in the past? Or did no one feel an urge to pick on him because he wasn't a prominent enough target?

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Boycott demanded for "The Pianist"
Published: February 17, 2003
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Section: Video
Filed Under: Video: News
Writer: James Russell
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Comments

#1 — February 17, 2003 @ 11:35AM — Eric Olsen

James, you certainly have your nose for hypocrisy on today!

#2 — February 19, 2003 @ 08:26AM — Shy [URL]

Just because you didnt hear the cry does not mean it was not made, many people throughout the years have objected to Polanskis activities.

We are often drowned out, unfortunatly some people prefered to support the rich famouse man over the child victims, it still happens to this day.

Shy keenan

#3 — February 19, 2003 @ 08:40AM — Eric Olsen

Thanks Shy, we appreciate your input and wish you best of luck.

#4 — December 13, 2004 @ 23:47PM — Tinou Bao [URL]

A sad, sad commentary on society that a child rapist can go around making movies. The people who deal with Roman Polanski should be ashamed. It's also sad that one would use the "well, nobody complained before" arguement to somehow say it's ok for a child rapist to continue to live free and make movies just because nobody was complaining before.

#5 — December 14, 2004 @ 19:14PM — Aaron, Duke De Mondo [URL]

well, Victor Salva gets off with it. Jeepers Creepers 1&2 went ahead with their business to little or no fuss.

Of course there is the possibility that people have in fact learned from past mistakes, and should be given a fair chance.

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