Madrid, Spain, Sep 13, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The President of the Association of Christian Doctors of Catalonia, Josep Maria Simon, said the movie “Mar adentro,” which was honored at the Venice Film Festival, is a “sentimental apology for euthanasia.” The controversial film by Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar won two Silver Lion awards, while the pro-abortion film “Vera Drake” was given the top award, the Golden Lion.
“Mar Adentro” tells the story of Ramon Sampedro, a quadriplegic who committed suicide with the help of his friends in one of the most infamous dramas of recent Spanish history.
Speaking to Europa Press, Simon criticized the “lack of accuracy” in the Amenabar’s account of some aspects of the life of Sampedro and said the film makes a mockery of a paraplegic priest who befriended Sampedro.
In addition, Simon wondered “why, if euthanasia is outlawed in Spain and was applied to Sampedro, has nobody been condemned for it” and that in his judgment, “this leads one to believe that things can happen and the law will not do anything.”