Good afternoon from Los Angeles, wherever you may be. Happy NBA free agency to all the Knicks fans out there.
The 2020 presidential campaign began this past week with the first two Democratic debates. I am in no way ready for 15 months of non-stop election coverage, and am doing my best to manage my intake of information about candidates for the time being. There is no reason for a presidential campaign to last this long, nor for it to be so expensive.
Now, grumpy as many of us might be about the state of U.S. politics -- and most Americans are disenchanted-- just remember to keep things in perspective. While we debate the exact nature and limits of a free press, China is cracking down what little uncensored speech there is.
Just this past week, China canceled the opening of "The Eight Hundred," a big-budget epic about Chinese soldiers who resisted the Japanese invasion of 1937. The government gave no reason for why the film was canceled, but, to quote the New York Times: "the cancellation came amid a broadening political crackdown on cultural works that are not sufficiently in tune with the ideology of China's leader, Xi Jinping."
The cancellation is a blow to Huayi Brothers, the embattled production company that financed much of the film. The film was the centerpiece of the studio's presentation for movie theater owners last December, and shares in the company fell nearly 10 percent after the cancellation.
But it's a bigger blow to the broader film community. The government is cracking down on all cultural output ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Two Chinese films were withdrawn from the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year.
China is using film as a diplomatic cudgel, a means to retaliate against foes. The country scheduled its biggest film awards show, the Golden Rooster Awards, for the same night as the Golden Horse Awards, an event known as Asia's Oscars. Last year's Golden Horse Awards were controversial in China, as a filmmaker expressed support for Taiwanese independence upon receiving a prize. Chinese actress Gong Li then declined to present an award.
And while sales of U.S. films in China have increased so far this year at the box office, that is likely to offset the decline in Chinese output. Producers have said it is harder and harder to get a U.S. film released in China unless it comes from one of the major studios. A headline in the Washington Post earlier this month said it all: "The trade war's unlikely victim: Hollywood."
It is unclear whether censorship will ease after the 70th anniversary celebrations are over, or continue for months and years to come. The Chinese government seldom explains its policies. -- Lucas Shaw
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