Cinemas drop Birmingham gun film
Updated on 03 November 2009
A film about gun culture in Birmingham will not be shown in the city because cinemas there say they have security concerns.
The film is called 1 Day. It stars local actors with a hip-hop soundtrack by city musicians but despite what its director calls a "clear moral message", Odeon and Vue cinemas in Birmingham say they have held discussions with police and will not screen it when it opens around the country on Friday.
West Midlands Police strongly deny they have been involved in any official conversations.
Some anti-gun groups in Birmingham have expressed fears the film will give gangs a kind of allure.
But the actors in the film say teenagers watching it will not be inspired to join gangs, they will be inspired to
reduce the risk of gangs.
Assistant Chief Constable Suzette Davenport of West Midlands Police said: "I can categorically state that at no time have we as an organisation advised any cinema not to screen the film. In fact no formal discussions have taken place about the film between West Midlands Police and the cinema companies.
"At no time have we sought to ban the film, quite simply because we have no powers to do so and would never seek to act as a censor.
"Senior officers felt the film did contain some positive aspects but felt it delivered them in a negatively stereotypical manner which glossed over some of the real outcomes of gang violence.
"With that in mind we have, all along, urged cinemas to make a responsible and informed decision based upon local circumstances and taking into account the views of their local communities.
"One officer who has seen and dealt first hand with the effects of gang violence did express a personal view about the film, with the best of intentions but any concern individual officers have about the film are personal and borne out of a duty to look after the interests of the communities they represent.
"We did not feel and have no intelligence to suggest the film does or will increase gang-related tensions or pose a risk to the people of the West Midlands, whose safety and security will always be our priority."
