The distributor, Presidio, had wanted to release Gabriel Range's film 'Death of a President' under the Japanese-language title 'The Assassination of Bush'.
TOKYO: Japan's film rating body has rejected the title 'The Assassination of Bush' for a controversial British picture on the killing of the US president, an official said on Thursday.
The distributor, Presidio, had wanted to release Gabriel Range's film 'Death of a President' under the Japanese-language title 'The Assassination of Bush'.
"We have concluded that it is inappropriate to use a name of the head of a state in such a context," said an official at Japan's Administration Commission of Motion Picture Code of Ethics.
The future title of the film in Japan is still in limbo, said the official who declined to be named.
"We delivered our conclusions to the firm but they are still sticking to their plan and asking us to reconsider it," said the official, adding there were no immediate plans to review the decision.
The association, voluntarily formed by film companies, provides ratings for films but has no legal power to prevent a film from being screened.
The association must resolve the title before issuing a rating, which most cinemas seek before showing any film.
Presidio could not immediately be reached for comment.
Range's film, which debuted at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, uses archival footage to depict in a documentary style the assassination of George W. Bush in Chicago amid protests over the Iraq war.
Some US cinemas refused to screen the film, which explores the loss of civil liberties and manipulation of mass media. Some critics said the movie was little more than a cynical way to generate controversy.
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