Ben Gibson, the director of the German Academy of Film and Television (DFFB) has apologized to the Church and the people of Dubrovnik because of the erotic filming in the church of St. Ignatius, located in the Old City.

-A crew of DFFB students who were assigned the exercise of making a short documentary have been filming a still photography session planned by the subject of the film. We now understand that the shoot included semi-nude photography in the location of a Dubrovnik orthodox church. Sometimes when filmmakers are given considerable freedom to make their early films, basic mistakes are made which can cause hurt and offence to others, however unintentionally. The academy, which values artistic freedom very highly, was in fact not aware of the specificities of the scene or the location chosen. To the degree that our academy’s unit has caused offence with this filming, we wholeheartedly apologise to the congregation of this church and the people of Dubrovnik – it is published on the official DFFB website, getting it a bit wrong – it wasn’t an orthodox but a catholic church, but the point stays the same. 

REACTIONS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

However, it is safe to say that a simple apology won’t be enough. Everybody was truly shocked by this kind of sexy photoshoot in a sacral building – from locals to foreigners, from believers to non-believers.

The Bishop of Dubrovnik, Mate Uzinic was especially shocked.

-I am deeply disappointed with the fact that today the openness of the Dubrovnik churches has been abused to capture inappropriate photographs under the guise of art, we will have to respond to this matter through legal channels. Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing – he wrote.

The official statement from the Bishop Office confirmed his words – some legal actions will have to be made.

- Due to unauthorized filming, the entrance of the film crew and all the actors in church spaces without the appropriate permission and insulting the feelings of the believers, Dubrovnik Church will use all the legal possibilities against DFFB and all the actors involved in it to prohibit the public disclosure of inappropriate photographs that were made in the Dubrovnik churches – it was stated from the Bishop Office.

CHURCHES TO BE MONITORED

Dubrovnik Police also reacted.

- After publishing photographs of a partially nude woman recorded in one of the sacral buildings in Dubrovnik, , which in most Croatian citizens caused a sense of anxiety about disrespect for their religious feelings, the Dubrovnik Police Station carried out a criminal investigation that established misdemeanor liability of the author and the person in the controversial photographs – Dubrovnik Police stated and said that as a result, they filed charges against the alleged violation.

Because of this unusual event, St. Ignatius Church had to be cleansed. Many believers went to the church tonight to show what they think of the erotic photoshoot inside the church walls.

This event will surely lead to many changes in Dubrovnik churches, which are usually unsupervised and open to everyone. Nobody expected a nude photoshoot to be made in church, but with this experience – they will make sure that it doesn’t happen ever again.