China bans censored brothel film

Magrath

China bans censored brothel film
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: X5 W, S) z, Q' x8 [7 ~Authorities in China have banned a film set in a Beijing massage parlour that had already been heavily censored for its sexually explicit content.
: i$ h0 h2 t# M, P1 ~4 ]) B' HLost In Beijing was released in Chinese cinemas on 30 November after scenes showing dirty streets, prostitutes and gambling were removed from the movie.

) \! n1 O1 @0 {0 [$ qAccording to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, however, the film still violated regulations.

- {) h, u* l/ {8 V/ a5 o/ qIts producers have been banned from making films in China for two years.

' A3 c- |3 m' s) @9 zThe 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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( j( j3 F) }) ]'Inappropriate'
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6 J  U+ `) @) S) Z- @& t# p" r: uAccording to the Chinese authorities, the film broke regulations by using "unhealthy and inappropriate promotional materials" in its marketing.
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% n( @+ s" z" ]4 E) V8 u1 r( ~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.
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"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.

2 Z! |4 X1 z1 X" Y2 V. O% Y3 ]Scenes set in Tiananmen Square, the site of pro-democracy protests that prompted a bloody military crackdown in 1989, were also removed.

. C7 n8 ^* h) JThe censored version of the movie had already been released legitimately on DVD.