Beastie Boy & Oscilloscope Laboratories Founder Adam Yauch Calls Out MPAA For "Bullshit" R-Rating For 'A Film Unfinished'

It’s not the first or last time the MPAA will run afoul of a studio or filmmaker, but it’s one of the rare times when someone on the receiving end of one of their decisions has been this vocal. The MPAA recently handed the Holocaust documentary “A Film Unfinished” an R for “disturbing images of holocaust atrocities including graphic nudity.”

In a bluntly worded press release, Beastie Boy and Oscilloscope Laboratories founder Adam Yauch responded to the rating saying, “This is too important of a historical document to ban from classrooms. While there’s no doubt that Holocaust atrocities are displayed, if teachers feel their students are ready to understand what happened, it’s essential that young people are giving the opportunity to see this film. Why deny them the chance to learn about this critical part of our human history? I understand that the MPAA wants to protect children’s eyes from things that are too overwhelming, but they’ve really gone too far this time. It’s bullshit.”

The film by Yael Hersonski is an exploration of the infamous Nazi propaganda film “Ghetto” and the recently uncovered missing reel of footage that casts life for Jews in the Warsaw ghetto in a whole new light. The film had its US premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year where it won the World Cinema Documentary Editing Award. It has also picked up honors at Hot Docs Film Festival and took home the WGA Screenplay Award at AFI’s Silverdocs Film Festival.

The film is being re-submitted on Friday to the MPAA and Yauch and co. are hoping the film will receive a more friendly rating. The film is scheduled to begin a limited rollout on August 18th starting in New York City. You can watch the trailer for the film below.