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BEIJING -- A crucial Communist Party confab scheduled for the fall and
the upcoming Olympics are playing havoc with the scheduling of Chinese
films: Anything controversial is being delayed in favor of patriotic
propaganda movies.
One
big-name casualty is "Lost in Beijing," which explores the urban-rural
divide in China and caused a stir when it unspooled uncensored at
Berlin.
"We were planning to release it on May 18, then in
August, but we've been told to wait until after the National Congress,"
producer Fang Li said. "Everything has to be peaceful and harmonious
before the congress.
"November is our earliest window. Let's wait and see what happens after the congress," Fang said.
Other
movies whose releases have been delayed to make way for the confab
include Li Yang's "Blind Mountain," which screened at Cannes. The date
for the congress has not been announced, but it is expected to be held
after October.
"This year and next year are bad for filmmakers.
It's the wrong time to be making a film," said one filmmaker who
requested anonymity.
The Chinese government plans to show 17
"ethically inspiring propaganda movies" in the run-up to the congress,
where President Hu Jintao is expected to make some personnel changes
aimed at cementing his power within the Communist Party and outline its
direction for the next few years.
In some ways, it's a surprise
that "Lost in Beijing," which features Hong Kong thesp Tony Leung
Ka-fai, got anywhere near a release, considering that it's set in
contemporary China and features scenes of rape and prostitution.
Fang
angered the Film Bureau by showing an uncensored version of "Lost" in
Berlin, saying he didn't have time to make the cuts demanded by the
censor. It is still unclear whether the film will ever be given a
theatrical release, as the delay may become permanent.
Chinese
media made a big fuss in April when distributor PolyBona said it was
dropping "Lost in Beijing" to make way for "TMNT"; even the normally
pliable newspapers said "Lost" was unlikely to be a major competitor
for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pic.
Producer Nai An and
helmer Lou Ye were banned from making movies in China for five years
after showing "Summer Palace" at the Cannes Film Festival last year
without clearing it with Chinese censors.
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