Moscow's anti-gay group, the League of Safe Internet (LBI), has reported the lesbian film Blue Is the Warmest Colour to local prosecutors and the Russian ministry of culture for violating the Russian law banning "gay propaganda.” If LBI succeeds the film would have its license issued by the culture ministry revoked, prohibiting its distribution through TV and home video.
LBI executive director Denis Davydov told Russian daily Izvestia:
"The film has plenty of overtly pornographic scenes, which take up most of the screen time… [Two] women are engaged in lesbian sex, one of whom is a 15-year-old girl. The fact that the actress who plays her is over 18 doesn't matter. She could as well be 40. The audience views her as a minor."
The Guardian reports that even though Blue Is the Warmest Colour was:
“a critical hit at this year's Cannes film festival, where it became the first example of a Palme d'Or being awarded to both the director and its two lead actors… Julie Maroh, author of the award-winning 2010 graphic novel on which the film is based, described Kechiche's drama as "ridiculous" and branded it "porn”… [and] also expressed disappointment at the absence of lesbian actors from the adaptation.”
