Prolonged nudity sees Berlinale winner banned in Vietnam

The department under the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, following a viewing by the National Film Evaluation Council, decided to ban the movie from being screened in Vietnam over prolonged nude scenes.

Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Cinema Department, said the film and its plot do not violate the Cinematography Law, only its long scenes of direct nudity.

Four female characters living with a Nigerian man each appear naked at least once during the movie, Thanh added.

Xuan Trang, a representative of the production team, said she was sad and understood the decision of the Cinema Department.

A still from "Vi" movie. Photo courtesy of the movie.

"Vi" was previously fined for being entered at the Berlin International Film Festival in March without certification.

Under the Cinematography Law, films must be certified by the Vietnam Cinema Department or approved for broadcast before being sent to festivals.

Directed by Le Bao, an independent first-time filmmaker, "Vi" won the Special Jury Award in the festival’s Encounters section.

While competitive, Encounters supports new voices in cinema and gives room for diverse narrative and documentary forms.

The film depicts a Nigerian footballer that moves to a Ho Chi Minh City slum where he shares a house with four middle-aged Vietnamese women after his team is liquidated.