China bans censored brothel film

Magrath

China bans censored brothel film
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, e  w( }/ F9 ~/ z7 Y6 E2 Z8 @% fAuthorities in China have banned a film set in a Beijing massage parlour that had already been heavily censored for its sexually explicit content.
0 E5 ?- _, F3 f: x, a/ k- @. e' b/ lLost 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.

7 Z% j' a0 y8 U4 `. A' f( h+ }Its producers have been banned from making films in China for two years.

; L0 v" Q. B7 D0 H- R+ 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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/ h9 ~9 ^- Q  `It went on to win a jury prize at the Bangkok International Film Festival last July.

# Y' C  T3 T) R% L! G'Inappropriate'

/ X, N* ]' D7 pAccording to the Chinese authorities, the film broke regulations by using "unhealthy and inappropriate promotional materials" in its marketing.

$ z! A# Z; D2 n6 \* b$ W- R3 w& tIts 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.
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2 H5 @1 u( @8 M2 z+ e* W, q" z"We are the victims of piracy. We are the biggest victims."

4 g8 _! l' p: ?  v3 B3 t. yPreviously, 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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* W; K) A2 i2 `/ r! m( k4 yScenes 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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5 I  e2 ^" d3 S" V7 oThe censored version of the movie had already been released legitimately on DVD.