This archive report was first published on 10 January 2020.
January 10, 2020, marked a significant day in the ongoing debate over artistic expression in Brazil. A judge issued a temporary injunction for Netflix to pull a comedy that depicts Jesus Christ in a gay relationship, sparking a heated response from the streaming service.
The film, 'The First Temptation of Christ,' was released on December 3 by the Brazilian production company Porta dos Fundos. The satirical comedy has drawn strong criticism from conservative politicians, the Catholic Church, and evangelicals in the mainly Catholic country.
Despite the controversy, the film remains available on Netflix. A spokesperson for the platform stated, 'We strongly support artistic expression and we will fight to defend this important principle, which is the heart of great stories.'
Porta dos Fundos has also spoken out against the ban, stating, 'We opposed any act of censorship, violence, illegality, authoritarianism' and vowing to continue broadcasting its work.
On Christmas Eve, the production company's headquarters in Rio de Janeiro were attacked with Molotov cocktails, but no one was hurt. Police have identified Eduardo Fauzi as a suspect and have asked Interpol to issue a 'Red Notice' for his arrest.
The federal police are seeking Fauzi's extradition, and a 'Red Notice' is a request to police across the world to provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.
Porta dos Fundos is an award-winning comedy producer founded in 2012 and has garnered an international Emmy in 2018.
