UPDATE, 10:49: The filmmakers behind Oscar nominate doc Do not split, which reportedly angered the Chinese government today, issued a response to the news that the state had instructed media outlets to reduce this year’s Oscar coverage.
“This alleged censorship of the Oscars due to the nomination of our documentary is unfortunately not a big surprise after seeing how freedom of speech and press freedom in Hong Kong is drastically curtailed,” said director and producer Anders Hammer. “Unfortunately, the situation there is currently deteriorating, and we are seeing activists and pro-democracy politicians being imprisoned for many years under the new draconian law on national security.”
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‘It is important for the world to know about the erosion of freedoms taking place in Hong Kong, and any form of censorship only promotes the issue of how important this story is, and past, present and future events in Hong Kong, is told as widely as possible, ”added producer Charlotte Cook.
PREVIOUS, 03:19: The Chinese government has urged local media to limit coverage of the Oscars ceremony next month due to concerns over recent comments by Chloe Zhao, the best director, as well as the nomination of a short documentary on the protests in Hong Kong.
Bloomberg cited local sources in the report that the Communist Party propaganda department had issued the order to all media, saying that the coverage should focus on the less controversial categories and that they should not broadcast the ceremony in real time. The news is also through Radio Free Asia and Hong Kong’s Apple Daily.
Zhao was initially announced in China following the success of Nomadland in Venice, but the reception soured when comments she made in an interview in 2013 resurfaced. In the article with Filmmaker magazine, the director referred to China as ‘a place where lies everywhere’; the article has since been removed. For more information on the Zhao response, check out our deep dive into Monday’s topic.
The nominated short film, Do not split, is by Norwegian filmmaker Anders Hammer. It covers the anti-Beijing demonstrations in Hong Kong in 2019 and China’s growing influence in the field.
No official statement was made by the Chinese government. The Oscars ceremony has been broadcast live in the country for the past two years, including on 1905.com, which is run by a subsidiary of state broadcaster China Central Television.
The Oscars will take place on April 25th.