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ay RENAE min, AE 0 pt A iV i di » " a ------ a GH NN, A a er ------------ TT AO ---- i f PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, September 9, 1986 -- 5 Viewpoint by John 2. Motion For the past decade or so, the Festival of Festivals has been held in the City of Toronto. It got underway last week with some 300 films up for viewing. The Festival has come to enjoy a reputation as a major international cinematic event of profound impor- tance. Some of the best film makers in the world get the chance to unveil their latest creative endeavours for the very first time. Critics from high-style publications flock to the Festival. Directors and actors make themselves available for interviews. The chic bistros in the up-beat areas of the city are awash in wine spritzers and Per- rier water. It's all very serious and very trendy, sort of like a Cannes on the Humber. Toronto most certainly is the place to be and be seen during the Festival and tickets to some of the gala premiers are more coveted than a pair of greys at Maple Leaf Gardens. But year in and year out as the Festival grows in size and stature, there is always one minor problem that crops up: The Ontario Censor Board. Since all the films in the Festival are offered for public viewing, the Censor Board has the power and authority to preview the films and demand snips where Board members feel they are necessary. Festival organizers are aghast at this. They argue that the films in the Festival should be exempt from the censor's knife. Vhis is a Festival of film, after all, serious film, works of art, far removed from the exploitive sex and violence flics that dominate the commercial movie houses these days. They argue that subjecting a film director to cen- sorship is akin to asking Michaelangelo to put a blanket over Venus. These people are artists with important statements to make. And the people who buy tickets to the Festival films are not from Madoc or Parry Sound (where morals must be protected at all cost), but rather they inhabit the sleek condos of Bloor West, and they don't need the Censor Board (thank you very much) to tell them what they can-'see on the screen. ¢ "This year, the Board has demanded a five second deletion from one film and a 24 second deletion from another. In one case, the director herself agreed to make the snip from her film. The annual battle with the Censor Board creates lots of hype in the Toronto press who argue that other film festivals in Canada are not subject to this outrage. Well, just who do they think they are, anyway? Because the Festival in Montreal or Vancouver gets away Scot-free from the censors scissors, does that mean it's O.K. for Toronto? Not a chance. And why should the citizens of Toronto be subjected to scenes of depravity disguised as serious films, any more than the good burghers of Madoc or Parry Sound. Sorry, but a Hazelton Lanes business address and a waterfront condo are not a licence to view smut in Ontario. I don't care if it's some artsy film festival or a bunch of guys at a stag in the back room of a cheap hotel, rules are rules. The Censor Board decrees thou shall not peek at certain parts of the human anatomy or at certain ac- tivities carried on by consenting adults. Good for the Censor Board. They have the guts to stand up to these people who think they can just stage a film festival and sell tickets to all kinds of evil things, all in the guise of art. Film Festival types may hate the Censor Board with a passion but the rest of us in this fair province think the Board is right on, Writing about artsy films and censorship puts me on shakey ground. I've never been to a film festival. 1 wouldn't know a serious film if I tripped cover it. My favourite movie is '"The Natural," about a baseball player. As far as I'm concerned, Lizzie Borden was some nut-case who cut off her parent's heads with an axe. I say these depraved, chain-smoking film directors should stay in Fraiice or Germany or South America. Who needs their celluloid smut when we've got Rocky 4, Rambo, Jason Part 6, and the up-lifting Texas Chain Saw Massacre Part Two? I know one thing, however. I speak for a lot of peo- ple in Ontario when I say I'll be sleeping a little more soundly these nights knowing that as the Festival of Festivals puts its 300 films on the screen in Toronto theatres, the Censor Board has done its job. If these people who buy tickets to film festivals want to see the un-cut versions, let them go to Montreal or Manitoba. We should be thankful that at least here in Ontario, a film festival is not carte blanche to roll out the smut and depravity that is ruining society, keeping people away from church on Sunday mornings and tur- ning our teens into drug addicts. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Toronto doesn't need the Festival of Festivals. There are far more wholesome things going on in that city like the CNE, Ontario Place, the Zoo, Wonderland and the (Turn to page 6) Yesterday's Memories 60 YEARS AGO Thurs. September 9, 1926 We are glad to see Miss Glasgow back with us in Port Perry after her European trip; and welcome to Miss Sine and Miss McLaren, the new High School teachers. Mrs. Reg. Doubt has become a reporter for the Toronto Daily Star, having taken a territory at Willowdale, North Toronto. Mr. Howard Leask, Seagrave, has taken the agency for the new "Overland Whippet" and has one of the new models on display. Rev. S.C. Jarrett, wife and daughter, have returned home to Port Perry after holidaying at Lake of Bays and Orillia. 35 YEARS AGO Thurs. September 6, 1951 On Thursday of last week, the Radio listeners to C.B.C.'s "Guesting with Kesten" heard two people of the district being in- terviewed by Bob Keston - Fred Stevens of Myrtle, who runs a market garden and Cecil Hooey of Port Perry, prop. of a barber shop. Two former teachers in the Port Perry Public School - Miss May Walker and her sister, Mrs. Florence Nelson, of Brampton, have been spending a week in Port Perry, the guests of the Stovin sisters. Miss Peggy Graham of Fort William returned last week to resume her teaching duties at Chalk Lake School. 25 YEARS AGO Thurs. September 7, 1961 The enrolment at Port Perry High School is up by 56 pupils for the coming school year. 378 students are registered with 17 full time teachers and one part-time. A surprise party was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Owen Reader recently to celebrate the 80th birthday of his father, Mr. Robert Reader. Mr. and Mrs. N. Wilson and Bruce of Prince Albert, enjoyed be- ing with her brother Mr. and Mrs. G. Miller at their cottage at Atherley on Sunday. 20 YEARS AGO Thurs. September 8, 1966 Mr. William S. Bradford, the new principal of R.H. Cornish Public School, is a native of London, Ontario, where he received his public and high school education. Mr. D.C. (Dan) Madsen, is the new owner of the Port Perry I.G.A. store having recently purchased the business from Mr. Jack Hope. Mrs. Clara Martin, Mrs. Alma Cox and Mrs. Marg Hayes of Port Perry won the Bradley Trophy for the second successive year in the women's trebles tournament, Thursday at the Oshawa Lawn Bowl- ing Club. They had a score of 55 for their three wins. 10 YEARS AGO Thursday, September 9, 1976 Port Perry Fair Board is ecstatic after one of the most successful fairs in its history. President Ron Deeth reported gate receipts at an all-time high of over $10,500 and entries were up by 15 percent. Paul Flieler, operator of the North End BP Sta'ion reports that his business is down by over 75 percent due to the Lilla Street con- struction. It got so bad in August that he had to shut down. Rosemary Hoerner, 16 caught her muskie last week and it was a beauty, tipping the scales at 30 pounds and measuring 50 inches in length and 18 inches around the girth. Letters Letter only opens old wounds Dear Sir: While not always agreeing with the letters written to your paper, or your Editorials and Viewpoint, I find most of them are written with good substance and are generally articulate. x I must take exception to the letter written by Helen McKean. Apart Other side Dear Sir: In response to Helen McKean's letter of last week, I think it is time the record was set straight. The grouprof people who resigned from the fair board are not, as stated, "a bunch of spoiled brats," but rather a hard-working group of volunteers. As everyone is well aware, the school vote caused an enormous rift between members of the fair board. This rift was widened, as the group of volunteers who resigned, were publicly accused of not pulling their weight, by someone who is not even a fair director, and if that was not enough, another member, who has not been active in recent years, call- ed for overall resignations' About this same time, (at which Fair was upsetting Dear Sir: Being new to Port Perry and the area itself, I looked forward to tak- ing my family to the Port Perry Fair. Let me also state that being familiar with other country fairs (Ridgetown, Rodney), we were very disappointed with the Port Perry Fair. We arrived just after an ear- ly supper on Saturay to find few peo- ple present, several exhibitors nowhere to be seen and only the fer- (Turn to page 6) from re-opening a thorny issue, some of the contents were very un- fair. Most of the "spoiled. brats' referred to are men and women who have worked hard on behalf of the Fair. The drop in attendance would indicate that in spite of the great weather a lot of people agreed with the "spoiled brats." incidentally the majority of this year's fair planning had already been done) a group of fair members took it upon themselves, against the board's recommendation, to repair an unsafe building without first checking with the structural engineer, required by law, for public buildings. All of the above events, combin- ed with the on-again, off-again in- surance problems, broke the final ties holding our fair board together. To Mrs. McKean, I would suggest, next year, rather than critize, that you join the Port Perry Fair Board (if you can stand all the bickering) - I'm sure they can use your help! Sincerely, Marilyn Smith, Port Perry. (Ex-President Homecraft Section) to the editor. Letters to the Editor ... our policy It has always been the policy of this newspaper to encourage our readers to make use of the letters to the editor column. Our readers have a right to freely express their opinions and view- points on just about any subject, and we feel that a lively letters column helps make a better community newspaper. We insist, however, that a letter writer sign his or her name. On rare occasions, we will agree to with-hold publication of a letter writer's name, if we feel there are very good reasons to do so. Under no circumstances will this paper print an anonymous letter While we enjoy receiving letters from our readers, we must continue to insist on knowing the identity of the writer. I have worked on the gates for a good many years, and this is the first year that at least two families asked for their money back. This was on the Saturday. As a parting shot, after viewing all the portables, the limited play- ing access, etc., at the R.H. Cornish School, I wonder how a small group would put the priority of a 3 day fair paying one dollar a year over a new school. This in spite of the poor way all concerned presented their case. Touching on another subject. I * had thought of congratulating you 'on your Viewpoint in your Aug. 26 issue. Now I see you have been taken to task by Villy Karstvlovich. The name would suggest a knowledgeable association with the events mentioned, though a lot of us were around then. However, one thing that annoys me is the way that atrocities com- mitted by the Communist world are despised and condemned while the same atrocities committed by dic- tators and military governments, | and to a degree other Western powers, are glossed over, merely because our philosophies are different. Sincerely, Albert. S. Harper, Port Perry.