Published by: World Tibet Network News Thursday - May 15, 1997
CANNES, France, May 14 (Reuter) - Martin Scorsese denounced Chinese
authorities on Wednesday for stopping directors Zhang Yimou and Zhang Yuan
from competing in this year's 50th Cannes festival.
"I contend that the best directors in the world today are Chinese, and
what has happened? They're not here. The rest of the world should put
pressure on their governments," the American director told film industry
magazine Screen International.
Scorsese has himself run into trouble with Beijing, which is reported to
have threatened retaliation in China against The Walt Disney Co . if it
goes ahead with its planned release of his Dalai Lama feature "Kundun" in
the United States and Britain.
"Why should we care what a Chinese government says about a movie made in
America that is going to be shown internationally? They can try to stop it
by bringing pressure to bear economically, but the film is still being
made, it will still be seen," he said.
Scorsese made the $35-million-plus film in Morocco, using unknown Tibetan
actors. He described the Chinese presence in Tibet as "genocide, from what
I can determine."
