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Film industry insiders lament that the criteria by which films are judged are too vague and say the process is plagued by bureaucracy

Scenes from Bay Cap 3 (literally Level-3 trap) by Vietnamese-American director Le Van Kiet, which has been banned in Vietnam

The teen horror film Bay Cap 3 (literally Level-3 trap) by Vietnamese-American director Le Van Kiet is the third and the latest film to be banned in Vietnam this year.

Vietnamese-made films are seldom banned, as Vietnam actively promotes its film industry.

Bay Cap 3 was banned for its inappropriate content to Vietnamese culture and tradition, raising questions about the process of censoring films and the criteria which is used to determine what is inappropriate.

According to the Vietnam Cinema Departments May 7 decision issued to leading local film distributor Megastar, nine members of the National Movie Censorship Council disapproved of the film which tells the story of an ignored, disregarded high school student.

On a field trip to Da Lat with his friends, he kills them with a series of unexpected traps.

On one hand, the statement continues, the film highlights sexual lust among the teenagers, on the other hand, because the student hates to such an extent that he does not hesitate to consciously kill people, it describes and incites violence.

The films content is inappropriate for Vietnamese culture and tradition, especially for high school students. Therefore, the Vietnam Cinema Department does not approve the release of Bay Cap 3 in any way, and makes this announcement to Megastar in order to keep the film from spreading around the local market.

The films content violated article 9 of decree 54/2010/ND-CP, which details the type of content prohibited by Vietnams Cinema Law.

Excerpt from:
Trap of censorship