Chinese viewers divided over film about surrogacy, illegal in China but which thrives via underground networks
- Chen Kaige’s short film 10 Months With You has been called out for ‘beautifying’ surrogacy, sparking uproar on Chinese social media
- But some have fought back, including a film reviewer who highlighted the hypocrisy after viewers previously complained about a lack of ‘real’ films in China
A short film about surrogacy has been denounced by Chinese viewers for “beautifying” the practice that is banned in China, but praised by others for raising awareness about the issue.
Directed by Chen Kaige, who is best known for his masterpiece Farewell My Concubine (1993), 10 Months With You has sparked uproar on social media since its release in early December.
“I oppose legalising surrogacy. If it is legal, does it mean the organ trade will also be legal in the near future? Under this logic, will human trade be legal?” one user wrote on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like service.
But there were some who objected, and praised the film’s director for shining a light on the issue of surrogacy.
“I don’t understand why I can’t have the absolute right to decide for my own body? Why is this right infringed?” wrote a female user on Weibo.