Director Rips China Over Actress Ban

Lee blasts media silence, blacklisting of Lust, Caution star

By Mary Papenfuss, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 10, 2008 1:30 PM CDT

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Director Rips China Over Actress Ban — Taiwanese director Ang Lee speaks during a press conference before the 44th annual Golden Horse Film Awards in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007. The Golden Horse Film Awards is one of the most prominent award venues for the Chinese language film industry. (AP Photo/Wally Santana) (Associated Press)

Director Ang Lee has blasted Chinese officials for blacklisting a young actress who appeared in his film Lust, Caution. Authorities have ordered TV stations to stop reporting on actress Tang Wei and to pull ads featuring her, even though censors signed off on her portrayal of a student activist who seduces a Chinese official to set him up for assassination, the AP reports.

Lust, Caution won the Venice Film Festival's top award and was a box office hit in China. "I am very disappointed that Tang Wei is being hurt by this decision. We will do everything we can to support her in this difficult time," said Lee, a native of Taiwan who also directed Brokeback Mountain. The media blackout does not extend to Lee or to Tang's co-star Tony Leung.
(More Ang Lee stories.)

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