China bans censored brothel film

Magrath

China bans censored brothel film

Authorities in China have banned a film set in a Beijing massage parlour that had already been heavily censored for its sexually explicit content.
1 M( s9 z% {4 z: s( L$ TLost 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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Its producers have been banned from making films in China for two years.

5 g& x! z9 T3 a, g2 L- f) XThe 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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3 ]6 |. j2 d  x* h' ]! C/ @7 b7 FIt went on to win a jury prize at the Bangkok International Film Festival last July.
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( ^7 A& z* e  H5 C7 i+ v1 @% d'Inappropriate'

$ M3 J: w  T6 D0 ~) MAccording to the Chinese authorities, the film broke regulations by using "unhealthy and inappropriate promotional materials" in its marketing.
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% e8 U" x0 g/ E) ]; |Its producer, Fang Li, has attributed the decision to the widespread availability of uncut, pirated versions of the movie he did not sanction.

"Why would I give the movie to pirates and hurt my own movie?" he told the Associated Press.

"We are the victims of piracy. We are the biggest victims."
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4 @0 ^5 l+ s( A: ~, Y  v/ XPreviously, Fang said he had edited the film to remove explicit sex scenes and a side character - a fired foot masseuse who becomes a prostitute.
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4 I& n% y9 {2 T4 g  EScenes 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.