Two million people have signed a petition calling for the film to be banned.
The co-founder of Porta dos Fundos, a Brazilian troupe known for producing irreverent comedies, Fábio Porchat, has defended the film after it faced heavy criticism from Christian groups.
The film, A Primeira Tentação de Cristo, or The First Temptation of Christ sees the son of God return home to Mary and Joseph, bringing with him a presumed male lover, Orlando.
The film attracted a lot of controversy, especially in Brazil with, so far, over two million people signing a petition calling for Netflix to remove the film.
Speaking to Variety, Porchat said: “It doesn’t incite violence, we’re not saying people shouldn’t believe in God. They [Netflix] haven’t said anything to us like, ‘Maybe we should stop making the special available.’ They support freedom of speech.”
Porchat said that criticism of the film was homophobic, especially as everyone focused in on the small part of Jesus’s sexuality. Meanwhile, one of the Three Wise Men brings a prostitute with him, Mary smokes marijuana and God says he still has “the hots” for her.
Addressing the sexuality part, Porchat said: “We play at insinuating that Jesus has a new friend, and probably this new friend is gay, but they have just been having fun and a very good time in the desert for 40 days.
“If anybody should be angry with us, it should be the gay community because a gay character turns out to be the Devil. But the gay community loves us!”
He added: “The show is almost a Christian fairy tale: Jesus faces off bravely with the Devil and then chooses to follow God, accepting to be his son, Jesus Christ.
“A lot of people, when they see the show, say: “Oh that’s what they were talking about? Ok, that’s O.K., they’re just having fun, no problem at all.
“For some Catholics here in Brazil, it’s O.K. if Jesus is a bad guy, uses drugs: That’s no problem. The problem is he’s gay. No, he can’t be gay.
“And that’s interesting because Jesus is everything. God is black and white and gay and straight. God is everything. It’s more homophobic to be insulted by a gay Jesus than to make Jesus special.”
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