China bans censored brothel film

Magrath

China bans censored brothel film

; f( ?+ N/ K( b3 SAuthorities in China have banned a film set in a Beijing massage parlour that had already been heavily censored for its sexually explicit content.
2 `: [( d7 o& o% cLost In Beijing was released in Chinese cinemas on 30 November after scenes showing dirty streets, prostitutes and gambling were removed from the movie.
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According to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, however, the film still violated regulations.
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' b6 Y: C8 y4 Q! L1 Q( MIts producers have been banned from making films in China for two years.

1 t; C9 C: O5 U  LThe 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.

) l9 ^* d# [. E* S: k+ N( D" g'Inappropriate'
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According to the Chinese authorities, the film broke regulations by using "unhealthy and inappropriate promotional materials" in its marketing.

6 H' e+ i2 ?- p# O$ M8 rIts 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.
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1 T; @7 f4 [/ w0 A"We are the victims of piracy. We are the biggest victims."
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. y& n7 e9 Q$ B# F, w) E! b/ J/ e; hPreviously, Fang said he had edited the film to remove explicit sex scenes and a side character - a fired foot masseuse who becomes a prostitute.

7 u% d4 `, ~  P% f0 B4 h5 q. U* vScenes set in Tiananmen Square, the site of pro-democracy protests that prompted a bloody military crackdown in 1989, were also removed.
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The censored version of the movie had already been released legitimately on DVD.