MUMBAI: Chinese directors Jia Zhangke and Tang Xiaobai have quit the biggest film festival in Australia because of personal beliefs – not because of any pressure from their government.
Their decision came after the planned airing of a documentary about Uygur separatist Rebiya Kadeer, who the Chinese government believes was the cause of the deadly ethnic riot in Urumqi on July 5.
“We think it is emotionally unacceptable and beyond the bottom line to share a stage so politicized with Kadeer,” said Jia in an e-mail to China Daily. “Therefore,” he said, “my company has decided to quit the festival to express our personal position.”
Tang – as well as director Zhao Liang – said she quit the festival for the same reason.
It is said that Tang received telephone calls several days ago from the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT) in which they informed her about the Kadeer documentary. Tang denied, however, that the two institutions pressured her to quit the festival.
Tang said she has no regrets in losing the opportunity to publicize her film, which won the Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema in the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2008. “The film has been screened at many good festivals,” she said.
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