After the May 3 meeting with the Motion Pictures Office, producers of the controversial film “Bui doi Cho Lon” (Cho Lon), which has been strongly disapproved by the office for its overly gory, violent content and has caused quite a stir among netizens, still have to make substantial changes to their film.

“Bui doi Cho Lon”, which is directed by Vietnamese- American director Charlie Nguyen and featuring his brother Johnny Tri Nguyen, who had performed stunts for several Hollywood films including Spiderman, and depicts the ruthless gang wars, is ‘accused’ by the office’s assessing board of containing prevalent killings and bloodsheds between gangs with little intervention from law enforcers.

The assessors also maintained that as the film is set in Cho Lon (Ho Chi Minh City’s Chinatown, where Chinese-Vietnamese and Chinese nationals have long settled), it doesn’t reflect the reality in that neighborhood. 

Meanwhile, audience opinions on this film are mixed, with a number of people showing support for it and hope it’ll be spared from alterations.

However, though Chanh Phuong Co., the film producer, hired a lawyer to accompany them at yesterday’s meeting, which rarely happens, they couldn’t deny their breaches on local motion picture and advertising laws or overturn the office’s previous decision.

The film makers didn’t heed the office’s request for removing bloody, violent scenes twice and went ahead with the filming and production. They also defiantly set the public screening date without the release permit.

Later, Charlie Nguyen, the film director, claimed that as Chanh Phuong Co. and Thien Ngan Co., the film’s co-producer and distributor, are locally owned companies, they don’t have to submit the script to the office for assessment.

However, the Motion Pictures Office refuted this, pointing out that Chanh Phuong Co. is co-owned by two Vietnamese Americans.

At yesterday’s meeting, the makers finally admitted to their wrongdoings and promised to make changes to the film soon.

According to a Tuoi Tre source, the companies have begun shooting some new scenes.