Promoter is told to add underwear to naked teens lounging on couch A poster for a sexually explicit American film that shows three naked teenagers on a couch has had to be doctored in Hong Kong on the orders of the Television, Entertainment and Licensing Authority (Tela). Ken Park, which revolves around the emotionally confused lives of four teenagers and their families in California, is directed by controversial filmmaker Larry Clark. It drew a capacity crowd last month at a midnight screening during the Hong Kong International Film Festival, shocking the audience with its graphic portrayal of sex and violence. The film's distributor, Albaze International, has now used computer-generated techniques to add black underwear to the actors featured on the poster. 'Tela wanted us to abide by the rules so we have had to do that,' the film's publicist, Gilky Wan, said yesterday. 'Naturally, our designers weren't very happy with it because it spoiled the original tone of the posters.' Referring to the impact of the film at its original Hong Kong showing, Ms Wan said: 'I think the audience was just shocked at the extent of graphicness.' Clark has earned a reputation as an uncompromising, controversial filmmaker for his gritty, realistic dramas of youths with movies such as Kids and Bully. A censored version of Ken Park will be released at the Broadway Cinematheque on June 12. Ms Wan said scenes showing male genitals had been removed. 'There has been quite a bit of censorship but the film maintains the general message that the director was trying to convey,' Ms Wan said. The Hong Kong Arts Centre plans to screen the unedited version of Ken Park in July.
