Visions of Ecstasy
| Visions of Ecstasy | |
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UK DVD cover
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| Directed by | Nigel Wingrove |
| Produced by | John Stephenson |
| Written by | Nigel Wingrove |
| Starring | Louise Downie Elisha Scott Dan Fox |
| Music by | Steven Severin |
| Cinematography | Ricardo Coll |
| Edited by | Steve Graham |
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Release date
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Running time
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18 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Visions of Ecstasy is a 1989 British short film that became the only work to be refused a certification by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) on the grounds of blasphemy. The film, which was directed by Nigel Wingrove, was banned because it featured sexualised scenes of Saint Teresa of Ávila with the body of Jesus on the cross. The BBFC felt that any release of the film could be liable for prosecution under the common law offence of blasphemous libel.
As cutting the scenes would remove approximately half of the film's content, the board decided to refuse certification altogether. The distributor appealed to the European Court of Human Rights but the BBFC's decision to reject certification was upheld.
In 2008 the blasphemy laws in the UK were repealed. In January 2012 the BBFC gave the film an 18 certificate with no cuts or alterations to the original film's content.
A secondary school science teacher was arrested for selling Wingrove's Visions of Ecstasy in February 1992 in Birmingham. Michael Newman, an atheist, then repeated the act of selling the video in public near to Canterbury Cathedral. This led to a debate with the Bishop of Rochester on BBC Radio Kent. Newman later resigned as a teacher following protests from Christian parents. Newman also made an appearance on Channel Four’s Comment in August 1992.
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