Luis Buñuel, one of the masters of surrealism, worked at a time in Spain when the fascist government was mighty hostile to anyone that dared question the Catholic Church. You can probably guess that a movie following a prospective nun through her journey into sexual depravity would be heavily censored. After it won the Palme d’Or in 1961, it was banned in Spain and denounced by the Vatican, and wasn’t seen in its home country again until 1977, almost two years after dictator Francisco Franco’s death. What could possibly be so threatening about a virginal girl’s faith being destroyed by the cruel realities of the world? Visit AFS to find out. – Lina Fisher
