China bans censored brothel film

Magrath

China bans censored brothel film

  z) E9 H: }& `+ P6 eAuthorities in China have banned a film set in a Beijing massage parlour that had already been heavily censored for its sexually explicit content.
8 x$ L0 A" {3 V' I( L/ pLost In Beijing was released in Chinese cinemas on 30 November after scenes showing dirty streets, prostitutes and gambling were removed from the movie.

; V% p$ C3 N2 k  R/ v# o8 oAccording to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, however, the film still violated regulations.
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5 k! A6 ^0 o& y: wIts producers have been banned from making films in China for two years.
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8 m# l! V" q0 X- l& ^- c" E8 b4 ]* l5 cThe drama - which involves the rape of a masseuse and her subsequent pregnancy - was screened at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2007.
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It went on to win a jury prize at the Bangkok International Film Festival last July.
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'Inappropriate'

/ \; d: ], r" N2 z/ bAccording to the Chinese authorities, the film broke regulations by using "unhealthy and inappropriate promotional materials" in its marketing.
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Its producer, Fang Li, has attributed the decision to the widespread availability of uncut, pirated versions of the movie he did not sanction.
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"Why would I give the movie to pirates and hurt my own movie?" he told the Associated Press.

( Y: ?, ]/ ?1 T5 [+ b& X! [. w- X"We are the victims of piracy. We are the biggest victims."
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; {  v: T# E' aPreviously, Fang said he had edited the film to remove explicit sex scenes and a side character - a fired foot masseuse who becomes a prostitute.

Scenes set in Tiananmen Square, the site of pro-democracy protests that prompted a bloody military crackdown in 1989, were also removed.

) M8 i& p/ {3 P3 E* G$ b. sThe censored version of the movie had already been released legitimately on DVD.