Witching Hour Films, the UK-based production company behind Axelle Carolyn’s feature debut Soulmate has made available in full the film’s opening scene, widely discussed after being cut to adhere to demands by the BBFC.

An ongoing topic of conversation between Carolyn and much of her followers and the horror community, the scene below is perhaps most shocking because it’s tone is visceral and poetic, rather than graphic and gross, as the forcing of cuts would have you believe. The mandate to trim is something of a baffling one, and certainly unfortunate, but not uncharacteristic of the British Board of Film Classification.

Targeted for “imitable behavior,” the BBFC essentially cut the scene from SOULMATE for believing it could educate viewers on how to kill oneself. Carolyn, speaking to Film Divider has interesting thoughts on the matter. She of course mentions the act of slitting one’s wrists as a means to suicide has long been in general knowledge before her film, and further notes:

We appealed, mentioning another film which showed the same method in similar details, but they rejected the appeal, saying that they took into consideration circumstances such as the outcome of the suicide attempt, and the potential audience for the movie. The fact that this film is mainly aimed at women makes me wonder if they consider women to be more influenceable…?