China’s Film Censors and Their Bosses Are Becoming More Demanding1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteLeap, a Chinese film portraying the country’s storied women’s volleyball team through almost four decades, made its debut last month across thousands of cinemas in China and, in a far more limited release, a still partially locked-down United States.
One of a number of films full of patriotic sentiments that were released ahead of the weeklong celebrations of China’s 1 October National Day, Leap opened to rapturous applause at home but got mixed reviews abroad.
That was because of its focus on Lang Ping, the “iron hammer” who took her team to the gold in the 1984 Olympics, trouncing Japan in the process. Now likely in the sunset of her long career, Lang has spent the last two years coaching the national team ahead of the now-postponed Tokyo Olympics.
Image credit: Peter Chan
