A loophole in film control and labeling.

The film "Mai" features a steamy scene between the main couple. Photo: Producer.

Allowing underage viewers to enter.

This year's Lunar New Year film season features three Vietnamese films containing explicit scenes: "Mai," "Dao, Pho and Piano," and "Tra." While "Mai" and "Tra" are rated T18 (restricted to viewers under 18), "Dao, Pho and Piano" is only restricted to viewers under 13.

Nevertheless, the problem of cinemas overlooking certain audiences and being lax in age censorship remains complex, especially during peak holiday seasons.

According to reporters, some audience members complained that cinema staff did not ask for identification from those who bought tickets to see "Mai".

Speaking to Lao Dong newspaper, Phuong Thao (19 years old, Hanoi ) said that the trend of booking tickets through mobile applications is becoming increasingly popular, leading to lax age censorship of audiences.

“On the second day of Tet, my friend and I went to see 'Mai' and saw 10th-grade students entering without needing to check their IDs. Sitting next to me was a boy who looked like he was in middle school; he only came up to my shoulder, but he was still allowed to watch a film intended for viewers aged 18+.”

Currently, cinema chains in Vietnam such as CGV, Lotte, BHD, etc., have adopted the method of purchasing tickets through an app. When booking tickets, the software requires confirmation that the audience member is of legal age, but there are no specific verification steps such as taking photos of both sides of their citizen ID card, filling in the booking person's information, or making an age declaration. Afterward, upon arriving at the cinema, the audience member scans the barcode themselves and waits for the system to automatically print the ticket.

The ticket checkers mostly just looked at people's faces and counted them according to the number of tickets, allowing many ordinary viewers to slip through to watch films rated T18.

Speaking to Lao Dong newspaper, Mr. Le Thanh Liem, Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the Ministry has directed local Departments of Culture to strengthen inspections and checks of cinemas following the incident where some cinemas failed to strictly control audience members under 18 years old watching the film "Mai".

How should I label my products appropriately?

The Film Classification Criteria issued by the Vietnam Film Department for distribution by age group are divided into four levels: P (allowed for widespread distribution), T13 (prohibited for audiences under 13), T16 (prohibited for audiences under 16), and T18 (prohibited for audiences under 18).

Some factors that the regulatory and censorship board uses to classify labels include: sex scenes - nudity, violence, horror, drugs and stimulants... However, these regulations are only qualitative and do not yet have specific quantitative criteria.

The draft regulations require that sex scenes not be "frequently and in detail" and "not prolonged" in T13 films. However, the criteria for "frequently" and "in detail" remain unclear. Similarly, C18 films (prohibiting viewers under 18) are required to avoid offensive tattoo scenes, but the definition of "offensive" is not specified.

The war-themed film "Peach, Pho, and Piano" also contains explicit scenes at the beginning and end, and is rated T13.

In a conversation with Lao Dong newspaper, a group of 12th-grade students from Phan Dinh Phung High School (Hanoi) expressed their surprise that the film contained a sex scene right from the beginning.

"Watching the intimate scenes made us quite embarrassed. I didn't think these scenes could be popular with audiences under 16; if the film were rated T16, it would be more suitable for younger viewers," Ngân Giang shared her opinion after watching the film.

The practice of film rating always sparks controversy, as opinions on sex scenes can be subjective and biased.

Dr. Phan Bich Ha - former Rector of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Theatre and Film - once raised the issue: “Article C, Clause 3 of the circular mentions the depiction and simulation of human sexual behavior, whether it is artistic, realistic, or crude and depraved. So, what constitutes art? What constitutes realism? What constitutes depravity? This point is too abstract and lacks any standards for evaluation. The same film scene might seem normal to students, but older adults might shake their heads in disapproval. This makes it difficult to convince students of what constitutes a standard.”

When watching sex scenes, some people will find it shocking, while others will find it normal; that's precisely the difficult and controversial aspect.

Strict censorship of sensitive scenes such as violence and sex scenes is likened to a leash that restricts filmmakers' creativity and hinders the artistic intent of their works. However, how to free sex scenes from restrictions in Vietnamese films remains an open question.

Source link: https://laodong.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/lo-hong-trong-viec-kiem-soat-dan-nhan-phim-1307411.ldo