Movie Studio Under Fire for Filming in Town of Abused Chinese Rights Activist
Relativity Media is being criticized for its decision to film an upcoming movie in China in the same town where legal activist Chen Guangcheng was beaten and tortured, and is currently under illegal house arrest.
Chen has served jail time and is under constant watch by the government for exposing the fact that the town of Linyi had 130,000 forced abortions and sterilizations in 2005. Filming for the movie, 21 and Over, started in Linyi last Wednesday.
Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women's Rights Without Frontiers (WRWF), called for a boycott of the film.
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"Relativity Media has a choice. If they have any commitment to corporate responsibility or social justice, they will immediately cease production in Linyi because of Chen Guangcheng. If they ignore this plea, then I call on the people of China and the world to boycott 21 and Over."
ChinaAid spokesperson Mark Shan told The Christian Post some Chinese are asking, “Why Linyi? It’s not a very developed place.” But he said for the Chinese government, letting an American film company come into the country is good for their image, and they probably provided benefits to Relativity Media. “They care what the American government thinks,” Shan said.
According to the entertainment studio’s press release, 21 and Over is a comedy about two childhood friends “who drag their straight-arrow buddy out to celebrate his 21st birthday the night before an all-important medical school interview. But when one beer leads to another, the evening spirals into a wild epic misadventure of debauchery and mayhem that none of them will ever forget."
In August, the film company said it was going to partner with two other companies to further business in China. This venture is called Sky Land. Tucker Tooley, Relativity Media’s Co-President said on the group’s website, “We are delighted that Sky Land has come immediately aboard as a partner. We are very much looking forward to shooting in China, especially in a place as amazing as Linyi.”
In an email to The Christian Post today, Relativity Media defended its position on the filming. "From its founding, Relativity Media has been a consistent and outspoken supporter of human rights and we would never knowingly do anything to undermine this commitment. As a company, we believe deeply that expanding trade and business ties with our counterparts in China and elsewhere can result in positive outcomes."
The Chinese Communist Party imprisoned Chen for four years and three months and has kept him and his family under strict house arrest since Sept. 2010. Back in February, Chen released a video describing the conditions of his house arrest. The next morning, Chen and his wife, Yuan Weijing, were beaten.
ChinaAid also reported that Guangcheng and his wife were beaten again for making phone calls. On July 28, Shuanghou town mayor Zhang Jian led a group of people to the couple’s home and beat and tortured them for four hours.
Chen has been denied medical treatment for serious intestinal problems and deprived of all contact with the outside world. Reporters and activists who have tried to visit him have reportedly been roughed up and turned away. As a result, there has been no reliable information about Chen and his family for months.
Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, said in a statement, "It is unconscionable for Relativity Media to make this film in Linyi. While Relativity Media is creating a 'wild epic misadventure,' about beer-drinking and debauchery, Chen Guangcheng is suffering unspeakable torment – beaten, tortured, denied medical treatment and being slowly starved to death – right under their noses."
