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Banned Dance of the Seven Veils gets second airing

BBC Picture shows - (front two) Christopher Gable as Zarathustra and Sally Bryant as Life in a scene from the film. Ken Russell's latest television film 'Dance Of The Seven VeilsBBC
Aired on 15 February 1970, the film marked the end of Ken Russell's association with the BBC

A controversial film which was banned for 50 years after one screening is being shown at Keswick Film Festival.

Ken Russell's Dance of the Seven Veils, about the German composer Richard Strauss, was aired by the BBC in February 1970.

Its sex scenes and depiction of Strauss as a Nazi sympathiser drew complaints.

The Strauss family were outraged and withdrew the rights to use his music, effectively banning the film until his copyright ran out.

Now, one week after the copyright ban expired, the film will be shown for a second time.

Picture shows - Christopher Gable as Zarathustra with nuns in a scene from the film. Ken Russell's latest television film 'Dance Of The Seven Veils'
The Strauss family withdrew the rights to the music, effectively banning future screenings for 50 years

The screening at the Theatre by the Lake will be hosted by Russell's widow, Lisi.

"Cumbria was Ken's spiritual home, he came up to make his first film Dante's Inferno and he saw Skiddaw and bought a house the next day," she said.

"This was the area that Ken felt called to his soul, in the same way that music called to his soul, so were are so glad to have it happen where it happened and where Ken's heart was and mine too, Keswick."

Ken Russell directing a sequence. Ken Russell's latest television film 'Dance Of The Seven Veils
During his career, Russell became known for his controversial films including Women In Love, which featured Oliver Reed and Alan Bates wrestling nude

Festival programmer David Miller said: "I long wanted to screen Dance of the Seven Veils at Keswick for years so I have been tracking dates when the ban could be lifted.

"Even after all this time, cutting through the legal red tape has been a challenge... we're delighted to bring it home."

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