Logan, the first film in China carrying an age-restriction warning
Society & Culture
Top society and culture news for March 1, 2017. Part of the daily The China Project news roundup "The tax haven of Tibet."
China does not have a ratings system for films, but a new law requires a warning to be given if a film “might attract minors or other audiences that are physically or psychologically inappropriate.” The American superhero film Logan has become the first film in the country to include an age-restriction warning in all of its marketing material, though the film has already undergone a 14-minute cut to bowdlerize scenes of violence and nudity. “The warning represents the most significant step toward what might become a more comprehensive and restrictive rating system, which parents groups and film industry lobby groups have been pushing for years,” China Film Insider writes.
A 29-year-old Chongqing woman who claims she was sold by her uncle at the age of 13 to a man who raped her repeatedly and then forced her to marry him is now seeking legal justice. However, the Global Times quotes lawyers who say she is unlikely to win any victories in court due to the lack of evidence. The victim, Ma Panyan, was raised by her uncle after her mother killed her father and fled in 1997. She says that when she turned 13, a man purchased her from her uncle at a price of 4,000 yuan ($582) and signed a contract that said she would have to marry him when she turned 20, the legal marriage age. She also states she was first raped by Chen at the age of 14 and gave birth to her first child a year later. Over the years, Ma complained to local police on many occasions, but her case was never investigated. The woman has begun posting on social media (in Chinese) to bring public attention to her case.
- China economy draws more students back from abroad / WSJ (paywall)
- Chinese Super League outspends Premier League as winter transfer window closes / BBC News
- Investigation urged as deadly H7N9 strain of bird flu shows signs of drug resistance / SCMP
- Video of far-right Japanese kindergarten recital sparks controversy in China / What’s on Weibo
