video transcript

Hoping to get their anti bullying message out to the masses, The Weinstein Company have controversially released their new documentary without a U.S film rating. Directed by Lee Hirsch, ''Bully'' gives a voice to young people like Kelby Johnson, to talk about their experiences. SOUNDBITE: Kelby Johnson, Bully co-star, saying (English): "Well I'm transgender and I came out in about 7th grade, although people always knew. And the town immediately turned against us, the churches turned against us, the teachers bullied me. I was run over. There were billions of things that happened to me on a daily basis, but then we got the call from Lee and it was an opportunity to make some change and to take a jump into this action. It's been amazing." The movie makers decided against a film rating after the Motion Picture Association of America awarded it an R - meaning people under the age of 17 would have to be accompanied by an adult. SOUNDBITE: Lee Hirsch, Bully director, saying (English): "This rating was really a battle for us, we didn't want to accept it," Hirsch said. "500,000 people told us to fight it, we fought it. We're not going to take that R; we're going to go out unrated. Thanks to Harvey Weinstein, thanks to AMC, thanks to lots of folks who are saying we've seen this film, we've made our own assessment, we're going to support it, we're going to show it, and I still have hope that the MPAA will reverse this decision. Anything's possible." The group gave it the rating due to strong language used by the kids in the film - which Hirsch felt was essential to the story. Despite the risk that major theatres won't show unrated films Tina Long, a mother whose son Tyler hanged himself at age 17 after years of being bullied, said the film will still open a lot of eyes. SOUNDBITE: Tina Long, mother from Bully cast, saying (English): "It's going to help create a climate and an atmosphere in our schools where maybe it's going to be cool for students to stand up for kids that are being bullied, and that's what we need to do." Bully is set for release in the US on March 30. Sarah Mills, Reuters.