Bai Ling's 'Long March' Documentary Casting Provokes Public Outrage
Charissa Echavez | | Nov 03, 2016 10:45 AM EDT |
(Photo : Getty Images) Bai Ling poses during the event 'Movie Meets Media' at Hotel Atlantic on December 1, 2014 in Hamburg, Germany.
A television documentary series remembering the Long March, a historical event in the Communist Party history, has sparked public outrage after it casted Chinese-born Hollywood actress Bai Ling, who is seen as "anti-China."
The Twitter-like microblogging site Sina Weibo was flooded with outrage from netizens, with many arguing that her previous criticism of China and unfavorable film roles made her an unsuitable choice, the BBC reported.
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Furthermore, netizens became more furious after a series of promotional pictures was released showing Bai wearing a historical Red Army marcher's uniform shot at significant Long March route locations, according to BBC.
One user commented that the photos were far from being promotional and were "nothing less than an insult."
In response to the ridicules thrown at her, the 50-year-old glamor model posted an apology on her Weibo account, according to the New York Times.
"I am deeply sorry for all those things in my past that friends on the internet have brought up," she wrote. "From now on I want all of you to see a brand new Bai Ling, a Bai Ling who is full of energy, a Chinese Bai Ling."
"I will bring the wonderful and beautiful culture of our motherland to Hollywood and to the whole world," she added.
Following last week's uproar, CCTV, the Long March's producer, has not released its official comment but has put down the episode from its website. It has also posted a new version, cutting the scenes that feature Bai, the Singapore Times noted.
The documentary was one of the many that marked the 80th anniversary of the Long March. Bai appeared in one of the episode of the eight-part series entitled Long March Shakes the World, which aired on Oct. 22.
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