Frankfurt, Germany
A German court last week banned the German release of a film based on the life of convicted cannibal Armin Meiwes, saying the movie would invade his privacy. The English-language film, Butterfly, stars Felicity’s Keri Russell as a detective investigating the Internet underworld of cannibals. The plot mirrors Meiwes’ crime. In 2002, Meiwes met a willing victim on the Internet, and the two cut off, cooked, and ate several of the man’s body parts before he expired of blood loss. Then Meiwes ate some more. Lawyers for Atlantic Streamline, the U.S. production company that made the film, are appealing. “There is a right to freedom of artistic expression,” lawyer Helge Sasse said. “What the court said was, a horror movie is not real art.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
