UPDATE, 10:49 AM: The filmmakers behind the Oscar-nominated medical short film Don’t Divide, which reportedly drew the ire of the Chinese government today, issued a response to the news that the state has instructed the media to minimize coverage of this year’s Oscar.
“This alleged censorship of Oscar due to the nomination of our documentary is, unfortunately, not a big surprise after witnessing how freedom of speech and the press is being severely restricted in Hong Kong,” said director and producer Anders Hammer. “Unfortunately, the situation there is deteriorating now, and we see pro-democracy activists and politicians risking many years in prison under the new draconian national security law.”
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“It is important for the world to know about the erosion of freedoms that is taking place in Hong Kong, and any form of censorship only reinforces the fact that how crucial it is that this history, and past, current and future events in Hong Kong, are being counted as widely as possible, ”added producer Charlotte Cook.
PREVIOUSLY, 03:19: The Chinese government told local media to restrict coverage of the Oscar ceremony next month due to concerns over previous comments made by Best Director nominee, Chloe Zhao, as well as a short documentary on Hong Kong protests. Kong.
Bloomberg he quoted local sources as saying that the Communist Party’s propaganda department issued the order to all media outlets, saying that coverage should focus on the least controversial categories and that they should not broadcast the ceremony in real time. The news was also released by Radio Free Asia and from Hong Kong Apple Daily.
Zhao was initially announced in China after the success of Nomadland in Venice, but the reception soured when the comments she made in a 2013 interview surfaced. In the article with Film-maker magazine, the director referred to China as “a place where lies are everywhere”; the article has already been deleted. For more information on Zhao’s reaction, check out our in-depth look at the topic on Monday.
The short film indicated, Don’t Divide, is from Norwegian filmmaker Anders Hammer. It covers anti-Beijing demonstrations in Hong Kong in 2019 and China’s growing influence in the territory.
No official statement has been made by the Chinese government. The Oscar ceremony has been broadcast live in the country for the past two years, including 1905.com, managed by a subsidiary of state-run China Central Television.
The Oscar is scheduled to take place on April 25.