Media Rating Board OKs screening of Kim Ki-duk’s controversial ‘Moebius’

The Korea Media Rating Board has lifted its ban on the screening of filmmaker Kim Ki-duk’s “Moebius” in Korea, after the director re-submitted the film twice and cut two minutes and 30 seconds from the original version.

“Moebius” received an R rating, which prohibits teenagers under 18 from seeing the movie.

The film initially received a “restricted screening” rating from the state-run rating agency in June, for its controversial subject matter ― especially for scenes that depict incestuous encounters between a mother and a son.

With a “restricted screening” rating, the film could only be shown in “special theater” venues, which are practically nonexistent in Korea.

Kim resubmitted the film to the agency after cutting the incest scenes in the film ― one minute and 40 seconds ― but received the same “restricted” rating from KMRB last month.

Kim again submitted the film for another review, this time after cutting two minutes and 30 seconds from the original. KMRB announced Tuesday that it has decided to give the film an R rating.

“I would like to meet the already-set release date of the film ― even if it requires me to delete the scenes ― because if I don’t, then my crew and cast would very likely lose their share of the movie,” Kim openly wrote to the KMRB when he resubmitted the film for the first time in June.

Last month, before resubmitting the film to the agency for the second time, Kim held a private screening of the film for film critics, reporters and industry professionals ― saying if he got less than 30 percent approval from the special audience, he would give up the local release of the movie.

Of the 107 who attended the screening and voted, 87 percent said the movie should be approved for screening in local theaters. Only 10.2 percent disagreed.

Meanwhile, the film has been also invited to the non-competition section of this year’s Venice International Film Festival.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)