'Chinese' geisha film banned

Fearing public backlash, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has banned "Memoirs of a Geisha", which shows Chinese actresses playing Japanese geishas, AP reported. The film was to be released February 9, but SARFT rescinded its earlier clearance. "We were pleased by their acceptance of the film in November and were disappointed by this decision," said Jim Kennedy, a spokesman for the China distributors, Sony Pictures Entertainment. The film stars "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" actress Zhang Ziyi, and James Bond stars Michelle Yeoh and Gong Li. With only 14 Hollywood films released each year through a strict quota system – most Chinese who see movies watch them on pirated DVDs – the ban is likely to have little impact on the film's financial results, the Financial Times reported.