250,000 log on to EU’s steamy sex scenes

A 44-SECOND video clip of steamy sex scenes on the EU’s YouTube site has attracted more than 250,000 viewers, but has been condemned by the Polish media.

Made up of a series of 18 different couples making love, the clip is one of four on the site which publicise the EU’s €755 million budget for European films.

The eight award-winning films have attracted more than 285,000 people since its launch last week, making it the most popular of the dozens of video clips available on the EU’s site.

Commission spokesperson Martin Selmayr said they are very pleased with the response. “We have had no complaints and those who have viewed it have rated it very positively”.

But the five-star rating, soft focus and limited nudity have not deterred some of the conservative Polish media from attacking it.

They have been especially critical of scenes of a gay couple having sex in a toilet.

Mr Selmayr responded by saying: “The European Union is not a bible belt, we believe in freedom of expression and artistic creativity”.

The clips — Love; Friendship; Sadness and Joy — were intended to illustrate the fact that European cinema is known for portraying very strong emotions “that you may not find elsewhere in the world”, he said.

“Love is a very important feature in European films”, he said and added that until the love video got some publicity over the weekend, Friendship was the most viewed clip.

The clips are from some of the most successful recent European films including The Dreamers by Bernardo Bertolucci and Goodbye Lenin by Wolfgang Becker.

All were made with financial help the EU’s MEDIA budget that supports half of all European films.

Many Irish films have benefited from MEDIA including last year’s winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, The Wind that Shakes the Barley and one of this year’s entrants, Garage by Lenny Abrahamson.

To view the clips: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media/overview/clips/index_en.htm