China bans censored brothel film

Magrath

China bans censored brothel film

: ~8 e3 ]: B% q. ^Authorities in China have banned a film set in a Beijing massage parlour that had already been heavily censored for its sexually explicit content.
9 @+ \/ W% {. Q5 O8 T6 Y3 }Lost 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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& |, Q  W2 M% {9 \$ WAccording 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.
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& J% Z. z- g0 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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It went on to win a jury prize at the Bangkok International Film Festival last July.
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'Inappropriate'

4 x+ y. H  P' J* L" ?: F& k3 sAccording 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.

1 x* k% L0 C: {- {0 `, z7 D"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."

$ M$ L" c: @# k% W" bPreviously, 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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The censored version of the movie had already been released legitimately on DVD.