The Inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on July 11 requested culture departments nationwide to confiscate the pirated copies of the banned film “Bui doi Cho Lon” (The gangsters in the melting pot of Cho Lon), which has recently been leaked on the Internet.

According to Vu Xuan Thanh, from the inspectorate, 54 and 10 copies of the film, which was earlier banned for its violent content and gory scenes, were seized in central Hue city and Hanoi respectively.

Those who sell or rent banned films will be fined VND20-30 million (US$951-1,426), Thanh noted.

Ngo Phuong Lan, head of the National Cinema Department, reiterated that Thien Ngan Co. and Chanh Phuong Co., the film producers, are to be held accountable for the leak of the banned film’s draft version late last week.

The leaked 1-hour-30-minute draft version of “Bui doi Cho Lon” has gone viral and caused a stir among local netizens.

Only one or two days after it was spread online, the film’s draft version had been released on pirated discs, which are publicly displayed for sale at local CD shops.

The department had also requested concerned agencies to launch investigations to find out and penalize the leaker.

Those responsible for the leak will receive fines and face penalties for violating information and communications laws as well as making copyright infringements.

Early last month, the National Cinema Department announced a ban on the movie, directed by Charlie Nguyen and starring his younger brother, Johny Tri Nguyen, who has acted as a stuntman for Hollywood films, for its violence and gore.

According to the authorities, the film wrongly reflects Ho Chi Minh City’s security situation, as the film is set in Cho Lon in District 5, and depicts the city as a lawless area plagued by gangs, who take part in relentlessly gory fights and killings with lethal weaponry, while the role law enforcers play is almost invisible. It also blemishes the country’s and city’s image and adversely impacts viewers, particularly youths.