Age limits on the young are perhaps the biggest injustice that mankind shall never address. Age brings wisdom only to those with the capacity for possessing it in the first place -- a fool doesn't improve with age. But when the bureaucrats who run the Venice film festival tried to prevent 14-year-old Hana Makhmalbaf of Iran from seeing a film due to her youth, they eventually had to relent because the young lady had directed it. At least, they had the sense not to enforce stupidity.
The festival does not permit those under 18 from seeing films that have no rating. The view is that the unscrupulous pornographers and corrupters of youth (a sin for which Socrates was poisoned) might not secure ratings to entice eager youngsters to part with their money and morality. But in this case, the Iranian film had no rating because the Italian authorities hadn't reviewed it. Ms. Makhmalbaf's work was debuting at the festival.
Yet in the great bureaucratic scheme of things, this meant it was dangerous to let a 14-year-old girl watch the film. What this mindset does not admit is that a 14-year-old girl could direct such a piece. Yet, she did. She is by definition an artist of no small promise. In her brief life, she has done something most people in the film business have yet to do -- how many actors say, "Yes, but what I really want to do is direct?"
Ms. Makhmalbaf got to watch her own film, which tackles the issues of Islam and oppression, thanks largely to individuals who could see the silliness of the situation. Yet, talented and intelligent young people are forever being denied rights that irresponsible adults are given. There are a great many grown-ups who have no business engaging in many activities because they lack the necessary responsibility, while some pre-pubescents deserve the vote. Parents the world over have always said, "Life's not fair." Does it need to be stupid as well?