China bans censored brothel film

Magrath

China bans censored brothel film
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- {7 g* ^0 A) U2 qAuthorities in China have banned a film set in a Beijing massage parlour that had already been heavily censored for its sexually explicit content.
; K# m6 [; x2 yLost 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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1 R5 ^1 H0 b0 z# k# I! H( kAccording to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, however, the film still violated regulations.

+ {% X/ b  k: p2 C5 xIts 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.

# E1 e* _  d7 U1 I" q! CIt went on to win a jury prize at the Bangkok International Film Festival last July.

'Inappropriate'

According to the Chinese authorities, the film broke regulations by using "unhealthy and inappropriate promotional materials" in its marketing.

$ r# o" d: I: d" H4 |4 e2 j+ h' z& IIts 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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$ i4 ?$ G1 M* B* I8 ^# R8 m"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."
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9 V- J, |/ q- L1 T2 r4 o. C& kPreviously, Fang said he had edited the film to remove explicit sex scenes and a side character - a fired foot masseuse who becomes a prostitute.

6 r- j6 B; W7 E* A/ r& `9 e, VScenes 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.