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31 May 2018

Gay Film Avoids Censorship to Screen in China

by Fridae Editor

'Seek McCartney,' depicting the gay romance between a Chinese man and a French visitor, opened in cinemas across China last month.

 

A budget LGBT movie depicting a secret gay relationship, 'Looking for Rohmer' or 'Seek McCartney,' has avoided China's notorious regulatory body, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), to show in cinemas across the country. 
The co-production between China and France failed to make commercial or critical success, grossing just $600,000 since its release in mid-April, but has made headlines in the country as a rare openly-gay movie making it onto screen.
SARFT announced in March 2016 that it was banning depictions of homosexuality in movies and on television. 
At the time, the film's producer Lu Jianmin posted a picture of the approval notice to his Sina Weibo account.
Lu Jianmin did not comment on why the film needed to pass censors for a second time and whether the movie had been cut in any way.
Directed by Chao Wang, the film explores the secret love between Zhao Jie and a French visitor, Rohmer, who travel to Tibet together. 
The couple argue, and after becoming estranged, Jie later hears that Rohmer has suffered an accident in Europe and is full of remorse.
Despite slipping through SARFT's grip, the film has failed to inspire Chinese audiences, garnering just 4.5 out of 10 points on popular movie review platform Douban.

A budget LGBT movie depicting a secret gay relationship, 'Looking for Rohmer' or 'Seek McCartney,' has avoided China's notorious regulatory body, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), to show in cinemas across the country. 

The co-production between China and France failed to make commercial or critical success, grossing just $600,000 since its release in mid-April, but has made headlines in the country as a rare openly-gay movie making it onto screen.

SARFT announced in March 2016 that it was banning depictions of homosexuality in movies and on television. 

At the time, the film's producer Lu Jianmin posted a picture of the approval notice to his Sina Weibo account.

Lu Jianmin did not comment on why the film needed to pass censors for a second time and whether the movie had been cut in any way.

Directed by Chao Wang, the film explores the secret love between Zhao Jie and a French visitor, Rohmer, who travel to Tibet together. 

The couple argue, and after becoming estranged, Jie later hears that Rohmer has suffered an accident in Europe and is full of remorse.
Despite slipping through SARFT's grip, the film has failed to inspire Chinese audiences, garnering just 4.5 out of 10 points on popular movie review platform Douban.

Watch the trailer below:

 

<iframe width="450" height="253" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FFCXFrvkrmA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

china, LGBT
China