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What happened
The Australian horror film 'Together,' starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie, was digitally altered for its release in China, changing a same-sex couple to a heterosexual one. Viewers noticed these modifications during advance screenings, leading to widespread criticism on social media. The film's global distributor, Neon, condemned the unauthorized edits, demanding that the Chinese distributor, Hishow, cease distribution of the altered version. The changes included obscuring nudity with added steam and replacing a male character's face with a female's in a key scene. This incident reflects China's ongoing censorship of LGBT content, where same-sex marriage is not recognized and LGBT topics are often taboo. The film, which premiered at Sundance and received positive reviews, has yet to be publicly released in China.
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Key insights
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1
Censorship of LGBT Content
China's censorship policies continue to target LGBT themes in media.
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2
Global Distributor's Response
Neon condemned the unauthorized edits and demanded cessation of distribution.
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3
Viewer Backlash
Chinese audiences expressed outrage over the alterations on social media.
Takeaways
The incident underscores the challenges faced by LGBT representation in media within restrictive environments.