Wakefield Council to classify Ukraine mercy mission film ahead of city screening
Councillors have been asked to decide whether children should be allowed to watch a film about an aid mission to war-torn Ukraine.
A hearing has been scheduled to give an age rating to the documentary which records the humanitarian efforts of a Leeds-based charity.
The film, titled Silent Night: Convoy to Ukraine, tells the story of the life-changing work of the Yorkshire Aid Convoy.
Charity volunteers were filmed as they travelled from the UK to Kyiv to deliver aid in March 2024.
The film, by documentary maker Rhys Durkin, is due to be screened at Reel Cinema, in the Ridings Centre.
According to a report, the film must first be classified by the council’s licensing committee.
The document says: “Authorisation for the exhibition of a film under the Licensing Act requires that the admission of children be restricted in accordance with recommendations from either the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) or the local licensing authority.
“The film subject to this request has not received a classification from the BBFC.
“Therefore, it is for the licensing authority to determine its suitability.”
The film follows the volunteers as they drive into a war zone to deliver medical equipment, food and clothing.
It was their eighth convoy to Ukraine since the conflict started in February 2022.
The charity was set up in 2002 by Mark Murphy who has spent years helping communities in need.