China bans censored brothel film

Magrath

China bans censored brothel film
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4 |2 ^( H) Z. 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 b8 V8 u) R0 ?2 X# h( G2 y; oLost 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.

* V1 S- u3 T  p% F" y0 BThe 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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* N, [) p5 i1 B. f, q$ T% YIt went on to win a jury prize at the Bangkok International Film Festival last July.
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( z( a. c& ~) t1 ~' X, t8 t'Inappropriate'
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According to the Chinese authorities, the film broke regulations by using "unhealthy and inappropriate promotional materials" in its marketing.
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0 W1 Y% S3 `6 g! W6 Q7 gIts 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.

  S. ?2 O0 i: e0 p2 v"We are the victims of piracy. We are the biggest victims."
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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.
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/ p! l1 B( N6 k0 kScenes set in Tiananmen Square, the site of pro-democracy protests that prompted a bloody military crackdown in 1989, were also removed.

/ N# x' g  w4 ^The censored version of the movie had already been released legitimately on DVD.