China bans film ‘Lost in Beijing’
Chinese censors have banned an award-winning film that depicts the seedy side of Beijing, the Australian newspaper reported. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television said in a notice posted on its website that parts of Li Yu’s film “Lost in Beijing” “violated regulations on sexual content . . . while unhealthy and inappropriate promotional materials for the film were also distributed.”
The film is set in a massage parlor, with the plot centering on the rape of a peasant masseuse, played by up-and-coming mainland actress Fan Bingbing. The film premiered at the Berlin Festival in February and also won a Special Jury Prize at the 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival. The film’s production company has been banned from making and distributing films on the Chinese mainland for two years.
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