Documentary fires debate on Swedish porn movies

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Source: Reuters/Variety

(STOCKHOLM) — A documentary analyzing pornographic films that are broadcast in Sweden nightly has triggered a heated debate about airing explicit sex in the wake of the gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl.

The documentary, “The Shocking Truth,” first aired Sunday and due to be shown to the nation’s parliament Wednesday, has put the spotlight on Swedes’ traditionally liberal approach to sex.

“The Shocking Truth” revealed that some of the porn films broadcast nationwide by two cable channels after midnight contain scenes depicting violent sex and gang rapes.

The documentary has fueled concerns sparked two weeks ago when nine teenagers, aged 15, were questioned by police over the rape of a 14-year-old girl in Stockholm.

“People are asking if maybe these young boys have watched too many of these porn movies late at night,” said Goran Ellung, editor of documentaries at TV station that will broadcast a censored version of the show Tuesday.

“We’ve never shown anything as explicit as this before but when this kind of debate is going on in society, people want to know what these films are all about and if they do go too far.”

The documentary, directed by new independent filmmaker Alexa Wolf, studies the porn movies shown in Sweden from the standpoint of a former porn actress, with excerpts from films and her experiences in the industry.