China bans censored brothel film

Magrath

China bans censored brothel film

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 o) L% L1 q$ r  }3 [+ ULost 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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' I# h- i- X7 @, P4 YAccording to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, however, the film still violated regulations.

& n5 n3 l& P/ T% c/ }* j) @; P3 _Its producers have been banned from making films in China for two years.
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+ N9 H* M3 E2 X' b7 _' W2 ^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'

+ G9 k' ~% \. i& ZAccording to the Chinese authorities, the film broke regulations by using "unhealthy and inappropriate promotional materials" in its marketing.

1 C$ N: x$ z/ B! m, QIts 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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. I) n! ?7 a( I3 P"Why would I give the movie to pirates and hurt my own movie?" he told the Associated Press.

"We are the victims of piracy. We are the biggest victims."

: H- U; D# ]) u0 `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.
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Scenes set in Tiananmen Square, the site of pro-democracy protests that prompted a bloody military crackdown in 1989, were also removed.

The censored version of the movie had already been released legitimately on DVD.