The SongeBob Movie Beijing Premiere (Photo : Getty Images)
Besides China’s reputation of being strict in censoring media, in the case of movies, for a film producer to get the valued golden dragon seal of approval from the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT), the movie must be politically sensitive.
Moreover, the agency’s 50 film reviewers are mostly people who are 50 years old, meaning they are mature people with conservative views. The youngest film reviewer is in his 30s, while the oldest is 75-year-old Liu Huizhong, reported Globaltimes.
Liu shared that each film is reviewed by five members who give the movie a score between 1 and 5. Besides rating the movie, the members also suggest changes if there are some scenes they find objectionable or need revision.
Lack of agreement on approving a film would mean the movie is passed on to another group of five censors. Liu said that in reviewing movies, censors must ensure that the film is politically sensitive. He cited the case of “Qichuan Xuxu” (Gasp) in 2009 made by director Zheng Zhong.
Liu said that the lighting at the scene shot in Tinananmen Square appeared gloomy. Because the movie was supposed to be in the 2000s and not an older era, he disapproved the scene. He pointed out that the square, even though it was just in the background, has bright and sunny days which Liu believes is better to use because a gloomy scene could have some political implications.
The regulator has changed from just approving or disapproving a movie to suggesting changes for it to get the golden dragon seal. In making those crucial decisions, the SAPPRFT considers also the director’s future, the producers’ investment, its impact on society and public opinion, Liu said.
With China now the second-largest film market in the world next to the U.S., the SAPPRFT’s job is expected to further grow as the number of foreign and local films to review expands. There are 5,600 cinemas across China with 28,000 screens, but despite the slowdown of the economy, movie houses continue to be built because “moviegoing tends to be recession-proof,” explained Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst for BoxOffice.com.
That job include ensuring Chinese movies make up about 55 percent of the yearly box office. To achieve that goal, Beijing has set three blackout periods when only local films are shown. These are on Lunar New Year, mid-to-late summer and in December, reported Bloomberg.
