Filipino movie 'Pamasahe' removed from Prime Video UK after viewer complaint
Pamasahe was removed from Prime Video in the United Kingdom after a complaint against it was filed by a concerned viewer to the country's media regulator Ofcom.
The 2022 Filipino movie, which is rated 18+, follows the story of a penniless mother (Azi Acosta) who turns to sex work so she'll be able to travel to Manila to find her husband.
One viewer complained to Ofcom about Pamasahe after not receiving a response from Amazon. They raised concern about the "inclusion of a baby in scenes depicting sexual activity between adults," according to Deadline.
The media regulator then asked the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), which said that the scene was in violation of the UK's Protection of Children Act 1978. The BBFC also contacted Amazon to pull the movie from Prime Video.
This would be the first time Amazon breached Ofcom's code as the House of Lords passed a new Media Bill which will have other streaming platforms overseen by the regulator.
According to Ofcom, major streamers like Prime Video, Netflix and Disney+ will be "subject to editorial standards" similar to those that regulate broadcast TV.
"This means we will be handling complaints about content shown on these platforms," the government watchdog said on its website.
Meanwhile, Amazon said its measures for checking content are "robust, complete, and effective."
"These sorts of content policies are nuanced and we regularly evaluate where we can make improvements," it added.
Pamasahe is directed by Roman Perez Jr. It stars Azi Acosta, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Felix Roco, and Sheina Yu.