China censors approve first film about gay couple

September 02, 2015 21:08

China has approved for release the first film with gay principal characters, the movie's director said, in what some are calling a breakthrough in the country's heavily-censored media.

Director Wang Chao announced on Weibo, a Chinese version of Twitter, that censors had given "Seek McCartney" permission for a cinema release.

"This is a small step for the film department, and a big step for the members of the film industry," Wang posted on Saturday.

China only decriminalised homosexuality in 1997, but conservative attitudes remain widespread and discrimination is common, although tolerance is greater in major cities.

Those who come out to friends and family in China often face significant pressure to undergo supposed sexuality "treatment" or marry a partner of the opposite sex.

The film, a Chinese-French co-production, centres on a secret relationship between two men, one Chinese and one French.

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