A popular Chinese film depicting the hardships of life in rural China has been removed from all streaming services just weeks after its release, and discussion of it has been censored on social media.
Return to Dust had been widely praised by audiences for its realistic and moving depiction of rural life in China. It had also drawn criticism from nationalistic voices accusing it of portraying China in a negative light.
The film, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, prompted widespread accusations that it was censored because of the heightened sensitivity in China ahead of its most important political meeting, the party congress.
The couple at the centre of the film, played by film star Hai Qin and a local farmer and untrained actor Wu Renlin, fall in love after coming together in an arranged marriage. They navigated hardships relating to health, housing, and poverty while living in a rural village targeted for development.
The party congress is in less than a month and authorities are under pressure from the central government to maintain an atmosphere of national positivity and stability.
The arthouse film became a hit after a delayed release in national cinemas, topping box office takings in its ninth weekend. It was reported in mid September that it began screening with an amended ending, in line with edits of other films at odds with Communist Party ideology, before being dropped completely from cinema listings.
It was available on multiple streaming sites until this week.
A social media hashtag related to the film's removal from streaming services had been viewed about 300,000 times on Tuesday, but only a handful of comments remained visible. The hashtag was later censored, with a Weibo error message saying it was unsearchable due to relevant laws, regulations and policies Among visible comments a few people supported it but the majority were critical, with one asking has Chinese art become a complete tool of the ruling class? Does it have to be a happy, thriving family scene? asked on Weibo user.
Hide the suffering, the suffering will not exist, said another.
China is largely opaque when it comes to its censorship of entertainment, and it is often unclear whether a removal has been ordered by authorities or is a pre-emptive decision made by companies.
In February platforms restored the original ending to the 1999 US film Fight Club after a viewer backlash to a hastily added final message that police had quickly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals.