Promise to investigate film crew's damage of scenic spot
A State Environmental Protection Administration (Sepa) official said yesterday that its Yunnan branch would investigate whether the film crew working on director Chen Kaige's martial arts epic The Promise had caused serious damage to a scenic spot.
The comment by Zhu Xingxiang, director of the agency's environmental impact assessment department, came a day after Vice-Minister of Construction Qiu Bao- xing criticised the crew for damaging the environment of Shangri-La county, previously known as Zhongdian.
Mr Zhu said he had ordered Sepa's Yunnan bureau to file an investigation report.
'First of all we have to evaluate the case, that is, to see whether the film crew harmed the environment, and if so, the extent,' he said, adding that punishment would be the next consideration.
He opposed filmmakers using natural scenery as props. 'Making films like The Promise does not need the approval of environmental bureaus.
'So we cannot assess [the potential damage] beforehand, but only supervise afterwards,' he said.
Media reports said the crew had built a steel and concrete set on Blue Sky Pond two years ago and had left without removing it.
Also left behind was a wooden bridge spanning the lake and construction material scattered about the site.
Lu Xinyuan, a Sepa supervision director, said the mainland lacked relevant environmental protection legislation to supervise filmmaking.
He also said enforcing environmental protection laws was difficult because various government departments often lacked co-ordination.
An investor in the film denied last month that the film crew had harmed the environment by not cleaning up after the shoot.
Yang Dandan, of 21st Century Shengkai Entertainment, said the company paid the government of Shangri-La county a significant sum last year to clean up the sets at Blue Sky Pond.
She said it had signed a contract with the county government after the crew left, adding that the contract stated the government had responsibility for restoring the environment.
Criticism of The Promise surfaced early this year. However, state media including China Central Television launched another round of attacks this week, including an interview with Mr Qiu criticising the movie and airing footage of the damage.
