NOT SO BANNED IN CHINA

Tribeca Film Festival winner STOLEN LIFE which was heralded as being "banned in China" was not, in fact, banned in China. The director, Li Shaohong, says that she told the press the movie didn't have a permit for domestic release because she didn't have time to get one, and that they misinterpreted her words.

Yeah, right. Here's her quotes at the time:

"I hope now Stolen Life will be green-lighted so that my people in China can watch this film soon."

"This is truly important for us in the sense that the film is still banned"

I remember reading the press notes for BLIND SHAFT when it came out. They trumpeted that the movie was banned in China. It was only when you got deep into them that you found out it was banned in China because they hadn't obtained location permits from some of the mine owners in whose mines they'd filmed, and consequently they could face legal action if the movie was released in China.

(Thanks to Monkey Peaches)