China bans censored brothel film

Magrath

China bans censored brothel film
$ }& |6 m4 E$ u, J
& B2 Y" X. ]4 K& `Authorities in China have banned a film set in a Beijing massage parlour that had already been heavily censored for its sexually explicit content.
8 w2 V% F# T% V: ]4 {& c! W9 R, |Lost In Beijing was released in Chinese cinemas on 30 November after scenes showing dirty streets, prostitutes and gambling were removed from the movie.
) X4 b) r. t  d+ h  Y1 |* L& Y
! C2 z/ V1 d1 T, D) u; _8 eAccording to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, however, the film still violated regulations.
: K! M! l$ k: f
Its producers have been banned from making films in China for two years.
  K& W6 x% h  b' s9 O) Y) s
% R2 j5 w* E3 @& U# E, n5 JThe drama - which involves the rape of a masseuse and her subsequent pregnancy - was screened at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2007.

; O8 N' I0 j" V6 kIt went on to win a jury prize at the Bangkok International Film Festival last July.

'Inappropriate'
9 V2 p0 w* L! ~( J( w9 I
According to the Chinese authorities, the film broke regulations by using "unhealthy and inappropriate promotional materials" in its marketing.
  E+ r* ]- S) X" M" C" s- G5 `
Its producer, Fang Li, has attributed the decision to the widespread availability of uncut, pirated versions of the movie he did not sanction.

. {" k9 R! v" d8 G"Why would I give the movie to pirates and hurt my own movie?" he told the Associated Press.
# b8 S! \& v* Z  C% X
"We are the victims of piracy. We are the biggest victims."
+ |- d# D0 ~) A$ J
Previously, Fang said he had edited the film to remove explicit sex scenes and a side character - a fired foot masseuse who becomes a prostitute.
2 k5 l* y! X" q7 c7 F
/ S' `  w" O+ x/ _6 ?2 f- @Scenes set in Tiananmen Square, the site of pro-democracy protests that prompted a bloody military crackdown in 1989, were also removed.
0 ]# d3 ?7 x9 v' m1 Z2 x$ U9 T
The censored version of the movie had already been released legitimately on DVD.