Capital cinemas let under-age children watch adult-movies

Khaleej Times recently saw children, who were evidently not of the required age of 18, watching a film in a local cinema. The film was 'The 40 Year Old Virgin,' an American comedy currently being shown in cinemas across the UAE, with a rating of 18 years and above.

Anyone who cannot provide suitable identification to prove their age is refused entry, despite the unhappiness this can cause, the spokesperson added.

Century Cinemas said they ask for identification stating a person's date of birth and control which children they admit at the ticketing counter before selling the tickets, as well as double-checking at the cinema entrance.

The manager of one cinema, located in Abu Dhabi Mall, conceded that it is sometimes difficult to tell a child's correct age. He said this is a particular problem with Emiratis who often look older than they actually are.

The cinema does not require identification to be shown to prove age, although he said that it would be "a good idea" if children had to produce a copy of their passport, for example.

On the question of censorship of films like 'The 40 Year Old Virgin', which contains expletives and sexual content, government authorities are responsible for editing films.

One resident of Abu Dhabi commented: "There is nothing new in a film which has sex and bad language in it — not on Western cinema screens anyway. But it is not apparent that this picture was censored appropriately, despite much of its content being at odds with the beliefs and culture of a conservative, Islamic society. Of course, if it were heavily edited, not much of the movie would be left for viewing."

Another cinema manager said there are some films, for which children must be aged 15 or over, which perhaps do not warrant that classification. He cited the latest Harry Potter film, 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' which he said only merited the 'PG' category (which requires the attendance of parents along with children) as it is clearly targeting children.

Cinestar's spokeperson added: "Films are only screened in our cinemas after being passed and approved by the censorship authorities. Each film receives a specific rating and we ensure that this is communicated to our customers thorough specific channels, [which means] our website, movie flyers available at the cinema and through our staff at the ticket box."