Danger of censorship for Hong Kong with the new Chinese law on film production
Giuseppe Gagliano's article on the new bill that Beijing intends to approve to subject film production to political control and the consequent repercussions on Hong Kong
China wants to pass a law that puts film production under political control, so as to avoid any obstacles to the country's security.
For this, the Hong Kong government should review films to verify that there are no national security violations under a new film law.
The Hong Kong government will also analyze the films already released to decide "if they pose a threat to national security," the authorities said, who intend to pass a new law on even more draconian censorship.
The future bill calls into question the political and artistic freedoms of Hong Kong, where China is holding back the pro-democracy movement, which massively mobilized the population against mainland China policies and electoral demands in 2019.
In June, Hong Kong authorities appointed a censorship committee with the power to ban any upcoming films that could pose a threat to national security.
“Any film intended for public viewing, already released or on the way, will need to be approved. We need this provision to take into account the circumstances in which a film that has been previously created or approved – but given the new law enacted and new guidelines published – there may be a possibility that we need to consider such cases.
The new law will have to be approved by the Legislative Council, the Hong Kong parliament, which no longer has opposition MPs. The maximum penalty for showing non-compliant films will be three years in prison and a fine of 1 million Hong Kong dollars (110,000 euros).
In neighboring mainland China, few Western films or documentaries can be released on screens nationwide. This is why Hong Kong seemed to be the privileged place for Western, but also Asian cinema.
Hong Kong is still home to film studios, famous directors and a vibrant independent scene. But the authorities are increasing control over the local cultural scene.
In March, a documentary, Red Brick Wall, which chronicled the occupation of PolyU University in November 2019 by pro-democracy students, was withdrawn.
The M + Art Museum, which is expected to open in a few months, has agreed to the possible censorship of works that could violate national security law.
Securities considered a national security risk by censors will not be able to appeal this decision through the usual channels. Filmmakers and producers will have to initiate a judicial review in Hong Kong courts, a lengthy and costly legal process.
Authorities can also revoke the display of licenses for websites that display titles deemed "contrary to national security interests".
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/pericolo-censura-per-hong-kong-con-la-nuova-legge-cinese-sulla-produzione-cinematografica/ on Tue, 31 Aug 2021 10:57:08 +0000.