The screening of the documentary film “Siberia from the bones” in schools in the Republic of Moldova was taken to court after a group of parents challenged the order issued by the Ministry of Education on May 5. The parents asked for the suspension of the screening until a final court decision is pronounced, arguing that the film contains scenes of violence and violates the Law on the Protection of Children against Harmful Information, IPN reports.
The complaint was filed on Tuesday, the day before the screening announced in all schools and high schools in the country.
According to information obtained by IPN, in some schools the film was shown, while in others the screening did not take place. In some institutions, students watched the film on big screens, in festivity halls, while in other classes, groups of students watched it on small monitors or even on the teacher’s computer.
Also, a number of teachers told IPN that the principals personally check whether the Ministry’s order is obeyed. Some of them said that although they do not agree with this order, they cannot oppose the Ministry’s decision.
The Ministry of Education’s reaction to this lawsuit is not yet known. Although a point of view was requested, the Ministry did not provide an answer.
Minister of Education Dan Perciun publicly justified the screening of the film as an educational initiative, stressing that the purpose is to understand a painful page in the history of the Republic of Moldova and to promote European values such as freedom, dignity and solidarity.
However, a number of parents complained that this is an attempt to manipulate, saying that the obligation to watch the film violates their right to decide what type of content is appropriate for their own children.
According to the ministerial order, all schools had to provide technical conditions for the screening of the film and to organize reflection sessions after viewing, both in classes teaching in Romanian and in those teaching in Russian. For now, it is not clear to what extent the order was fulfilled, which is the Ministry’s reaction to the lawsuit, but the Ministry’s representatives promised to come back with a public response.
The documentary “Siberia from the bones”, made with the financial support of the state, treats the deportations to Siberia during the Soviet period, through direct testimonies of survivors.
