[2002:] Scottish film director Peter Mullan has defended his film [The Magdalene Sisters] as based on "true events" in the face of strong criticism after winning the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice film festival. The Magdalene Sisters follows four promiscuous girls who were used as labourers by the Catholic church in Ireland in the 1960s and shows them being abused by nuns in the notorious asylums.
Mullan said the Catholic church should face up to cruelty dealt out by nuns in the asylums. [...] It has been documented that women were admitted to the Magdalene asylums after they were orphaned, had children out of wedlock, or were simply "too pretty". Mullan got the idea for the film after seeing a documentary about how the women were subjected to physical and mental abuse but still managed to offer some resistance.
The last Magdalene asylum was closed in 1996. [...]
Italian newspapers and church figures have criticised the decision to hand the award to The Magdalene Sisters. [...] Catholic priest and media commentator, Gianni Baget Bozzo, also rounded on the jury and festival organisers. "Whoever gave the prize to this film did so only because of its anti-Catholic content." (BBC Online, 9 Sep)