Asia entertainment news from Variety

Chinese artist suing over "Panda"

Written by Clifford Coonan
Friday, 18 July 2008
Story Categories: China, Film, Hollywood In Asia, regulation, BEIJING -- Chinese performance artist Zhao Bandi, best known for using panda images in his art, including clothes designs for panda prostitutes and panda concubines, is suing DreamWorks in a Beijing court, demanding an apology from the Hollywood studio for "Kung Fu Panda's" depiction of China's national symbol. The amusing tale about an overweight panda-turned-noodle chef called Po who aspires to be a kung fu master has done boffo B.O. in China since it was first screened June 20. The Chinese are hugely proud of kung fu, and they also love their national symbol, the giant panda, and DreamWorks Animation has been widely praised for addressing these two big issues sensitively in "Kung Fu Panda." Zhao, who likes to carry a stuffed panda around with him and whose art is all based on pandas, says the fact that Po's father in the film is a duck is an insult to all Chinese and also the panda's eyes are green, which is an evil color. "Designing the panda with green eyes is a conspiracy. A panda with green eyes has the feeling of evil. I have studied oil painting, and we would never use green eyes to describe a kind-hearted figure. So I ask them to open their creative meeting records of this film and explain why the green eyes? "Next, why is the panda's father is a duck? Many foreigners think the giant panda is not just China's symbol, but also the Chinese people's symbol. Drawing the father of the giant panda as a duck is an insult to the Chinese people. In a few years time, I'm worried some young Chinese people will think their ancestor is Donald Duck," Zhao said. Zhao's earlier calls for a boycott of the film because it would upset victims of the Sichuan earthquake prompted the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the state body that tightly controls the entertainment business, to delay the film's release in the Sichuan earthquake zone, but there was an immediate response online calling for the film to be released. Zhao said he's not seeking any money; he just wants an apology from the filmmakers. He said Beijing Chaoyang District People's Court had formally accepted his lawsuit, and he wrote on his blog that the decision by the court to proceed with his case showed that he was about more than just mere publicity stunts. © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Bookmark with.. Comments (16) angie chen: ... zhao can go home. china is best without assholes like him. 1 July 18, 2008 angie chen: ... zhao can go home. china is best without assholes like him. 2 July 18, 2008 mike v: ... i have green eyes. he's right: we're all basically evil. 3 July 18, 2008 Maria: ... http:// This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Hello! Doesn't the chinese government look at these films before they give the go ahead? Obviously, it was not a problem then. As far as the duck being the dad, hello po could have been an orphan as many chinese children are and they are adopted by non chinese parents. Zhao seems to need his 15 mins. 4 July 18, 2008 Charlotte G: ... Some Chinese are so sensitive lately about everything. Do you honestly think that Americans would be offended if they made a funny movie about an Eagle which is our national bird? I think not!! 5 July 19, 2008 hw: ... chill peeps. its just a movie. zhao can remake his own panda movie and make billions of ducks. 6 July 19, 2008 Quack: Panda Mr. artist So you have studied oil painting. Please now study fictional painting. 7 July 19, 2008 Eagle: ... Let's not get carried away. The eagle seal is everywhere in the US governmental offices. Is it the same with the panda in Chinese governmental offices ? An angry artist cannot represent the sentiment of the Chinese people. The Chinese people do not own and MAY not own the symbol of any panda. The Chinese people are not insulted by anything panda. 8 July 19, 2008 me: ... If green eye is evil, then red can be the opposite of green. Yeah, I'd like to see a panda with red eyes !!! 9 July 19, 2008 yao: Zhao. Way to go!!!! Zhao. Way to go!!!!! I am glad that you took a stand against big corporations that thinks they can draw anything they want to deceive people on what a real Panda and his family should look like. The Chinese would never have made an insulting drawing of an American Eagle, and gave him a duck for a father. Freedom of Speech is not meant to spread lies about an animal that has always been associated with China and its people. Many people around the world already thinks poorly of China, even though they have never been to China nor study anything about the real China or Chinese. The only experience they have with China is usually through the media, and in this case, the Hollywood movie. So to display a animal drawing that has always been associated with China in negative light with dark evil eyes, they are reinforcing the misconception of, or maybe even a propaganda campaign against China to the rest of the world. Zhao is only try to protect the image of his country. He also wants to understand exactly why they did what they did with the drawing. If they have nothing to hide, then they should have nothing to worry about, right? 10 July 19, 2008 yao minh: ... Yao...all of a sudden, the world must submit to the idea that china is the sole owner of panda images. What's next ? Ping Pong ? Moon cake ? Dragon ? Imagine the level of psychological possession going around. It's getting pathethic. 11 July 19, 2008 Anti-Zhao: Everyone hates him in China! Desperate freak who wanna get famous 12 July 19, 2008 yao minh: ... I would neither hate nor love him. The guy obviously is misguided. I suppose, in china, this is a sure way to kiss ass to the hardliners. Hardliners: Eerrrr Comrade...our party can really use more of you. Now go and watch some more movies and indoctrinate the mass. 13 July 19, 2008 Bright Shadow Films: Movie Production Shanghai http://www.brightshadowfilms.com/ if he thinks he can create a funnier panda, why didn't he do it? 14 July 21, 2008 hy: ... It's funny that I've seen his panda flag pattern and I swear I saw a tiny penis between the panda's legs. I don't think that nor his I-am-on-drug look would impress the so-called hardliners. Apparently he considers panda his personal property. He's pissed that someone else's making big money out of it. Every country has its freaks and I guess we should stop paying attention. 15 July 22, 2008 yan: You Don't Get it. http://www.glutter.org You guys ALL missed the point. It's a joke and another one of his soft statements about the ridiculousness of Chinese government propaganda. He uses the Panda as a "national Symbol" to poke fun at the government and is constantly haranged about his use of the "national symbol." He's just pointing out how hypocritical the government is when it comes to well... "the use of the "Panda." A the people who call him an "asshole" just doesn't know his work. At least he has a sense of humour. You guys obviously don't. 16 July 22, 2008 Write comment There is a problem with the comment system, or you do not have javascript enabled. 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Last Updated ( Monday, 21 July 2008 )