Rights Groups Call for Boycott of U.S. Film Made in Cooperation With Chinese Authorities

By: Jessica Ties
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 BEIJING, China – Rights groups are protesting the decision of Relativity Media to film a portion of its film “21 and Over” in the Chinese city of Linyi. The city has drawn criticism for its harsh treatment of an activist who has been kept under house arrest and subjected to beatings by government authorities.

Chen Guangcheng is under house arrest in Linyi where Relativity Media is filming part of an upcoming movie (Photo Courtesy of Asia News).

Activist and lawyer Chen Guangcheng has been under house arrest since September 2010 after he completed a 51 month prison sentence for his involvement in a class action against brutal enforcement  of China’s “one child only” policy. Officials were being accused of forcing Linyi women to undergo abortions or sterilization in the interest of controlling the population.

Following his initial house arrest in 2005, Mr. Chen was then sentenced to serve four years in prison. After being released from prison, he was placed under house arrest along with his wife and young daughter while his school-aged son went to live with relatives. The house arrest sentence includes constant surveillance of his activities as well as the activities of his relatives.

In addition, Chen and his wife are beaten if they manage to make contact with the outside world or at the whim of government authorities.

Following his house arrest, authorities in Linyi have turned Chen’s village into a “hostile, no-go zone” in which activists, diplomats and reporters have been turned away and physically assaulted.  As recently as last week a group of unidentified men attacked visitors to Linyi as they tried to go to Chen’s home

Despite backlash from rights groups, Relativity Media asserts that it is proud of its partnership with China but admits that it was unaware of the political situation occurring in Linyi.

The company released a statement claiming that “[f]rom it’s founding, Relativity Media has been a consistent and outspoken supporter of human rights and we would never knowingly do anything to undermine this commitment. We stand by that commitment and we are proud of our growing business relationships in China… As a company, we believe deeply that expanding trade and business ties with our counterparts in China and elsewhere can result in positive outcomes.

Others, however, feel that the arrangement is a direct indicator of the company’s lack of concern for human rights. One example is Nicholas Becquelin, the senior researcher for Human Rights Watch Asia division, who stated that “…signing a deal with a person who is directly responsible for one of the most egregious and cruel abuses of a human rights defender in China is really beyond the pale.”

Criticism was also drawn from a press release by Relativity which quoted the party secretary of Linyi as praising “his good friend” Ryan Kavanaugh, who is the CEO of Relativity. In addition, the press release states that the studio was “…very much looking forward to shooting in china, especially in a place as amazing as Linyi.”

In direct response to the characterization of Linyi as an amazing place, China director for Human Rights Watch stated that Linyi is only amazing because of the , “amazing abuses Linyi officials have heap on one of China’s best known legal rights activists and his family…It’s almost equally amazing that Relativity was unaware of Linyi’s notoriety.”

Groups, such the Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, are calling for the worldwide boycott of “21 and Over” as a result of the partnership with china.

Relativity has produced or co-financed over 20 movies including “Bridesmaids”, “Limitless” and “The Social Network”.

For more information, please see:

Radio Free Asia – Call for Movie Boycott – 2 November 2011

The Washington Post – Hollywood Stirs Outrage With Comedy Filmed in Notorious Chinese City – 1 November 2011

The New York Times – Activists Denounce Film Deal in China – 31 October 2011

Huffington Post – Relativity Slammed for Linyi, China Shoot for ’21 And Over’ Film – 30 October 2011

Reuters – Human Rights Groups Rebuke Relativity Over Chinese Co-Production – 30 October 2011

Author: Impunity Watch Archive