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.
; z) U1 z+ r" F1 o% mLost In Beijing was released in Chinese cinemas on 30 November after scenes showing dirty streets, prostitutes and gambling were removed from the movie.

3 u: B8 W# W- Y# m5 ^9 Y0 l* jAccording to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, however, the film still violated regulations.

0 j. N+ Z( {1 d* ]Its producers have been banned from making films in China for two years.
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The drama - which involves the rape of a masseuse and her subsequent pregnancy - was screened at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2007.

It went on to win a jury prize at the Bangkok International Film Festival last July.
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'Inappropriate'
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According to the Chinese authorities, the film broke regulations by using "unhealthy and inappropriate promotional materials" in its marketing.

% @2 `6 Z! \* `) X. y- ]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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8 n& V: y* [& H"Why would I give the movie to pirates and hurt my own movie?" he told the Associated Press.
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& [7 w) C4 m( r( R"We are the victims of piracy. We are the biggest victims."

4 [& p0 j; s* }3 G1 s- Z( q3 P2 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.
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  w+ ]8 V# c+ I' ^7 ]The censored version of the movie had already been released legitimately on DVD.