China bans censored brothel film

Magrath

China bans censored brothel film
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( W5 p: Q5 E0 K) zAuthorities in China have banned a film set in a Beijing massage parlour that had already been heavily censored for its sexually explicit content.
% E* r; A1 t, w6 }1 JLost In Beijing was released in Chinese cinemas on 30 November after scenes showing dirty streets, prostitutes and gambling were removed from the movie.

6 T# h& M& M. A7 C" y, ?+ a8 Q: {According to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, however, the film still violated regulations.

! s' ]* M; i% L& I  |( E. \Its producers have been banned from making films in China for two years.

2 w3 I7 M3 C9 ^7 YThe 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.

2 `3 k9 m! Y! _'Inappropriate'
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According to the Chinese authorities, the film broke regulations by using "unhealthy and inappropriate promotional materials" in its marketing.

3 x" S7 ^0 X& {* V+ K* t; y" NIts 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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! V% G4 u& e/ p" G8 F"We are the victims of piracy. We are the biggest victims."

; q& j1 V- b' k% o* S: RPreviously, 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 `) {9 z+ e7 h# x) ~) ~Scenes set in Tiananmen Square, the site of pro-democracy protests that prompted a bloody military crackdown in 1989, were also removed.

9 N0 R7 _6 R8 j1 e" bThe censored version of the movie had already been released legitimately on DVD.