China bans censored brothel film

Magrath

China bans censored brothel film

2 ]7 r! H( Z) B7 |2 H( U( vAuthorities in China have banned a film set in a Beijing massage parlour that had already been heavily censored for its sexually explicit content.
( X' K  X- E2 d# kLost 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.

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

. K7 t7 n0 g. W; s"We are the victims of piracy. We are the biggest victims."
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# k  k. G) A1 y9 U$ \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.

  L/ j4 F$ p5 Z4 {Scenes set in Tiananmen Square, the site of pro-democracy protests that prompted a bloody military crackdown in 1989, were also removed.

" Y8 R6 Z( |3 B7 i: |6 Q) b$ aThe censored version of the movie had already been released legitimately on DVD.