ABSTRACT
Censorship has played a role in what can be seen on screen in many parts of the world. Censorship of sexual issues is also practiced in the Middle East and countries like China, Kenya, and Malaysia. History bears out the insignia of "masterpiece", although the novel itself was "banned for two years by the French government" when first published there in 1955. Sometimes the censorship of an author can take the form of death, or even murder. Working on major films supported by governments or corporations can be constraining to filmmakers with unique aesthetic visions or political outlooks that vary from official policy, whether in the former Soviet Union, China, or the US. With independent film festivals, cable, and the internet, there are more and more venues for getting polemical work out. On a more hopeful note, some of the films and programs whose subject matter may have been self-censored to the point of non-existence are now getting major accolades.
