Authorities seek to control viral internet series

After the launch on June 5 on Youtube, the first episode of the film attracted millions of viewers, the producers made plans to launch the second episode on July 20, which is expected to have more sexually provocative scenes.

Sexually provocative posters of the planned second episcode

The participants are all young people who claim a great love for cinema and filmmaking. They classified their first installment as a sitcom and self-rated it as "18+”.

Many acclaim the work as humorous and witty and suitable for young people. However, others call it indecent, vulgar and even obscene. The filmmakers intention was to accurately reflect the lives of the young generation, including sensitive scenes and dialogue related to sex, but not all agree that this is a positive development in Vietnamese culture.

On June 20, in response to the public concern, the Condemnatory Department issued a document requiring the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Inspectorate to take measures to deal with the video, claiming that it violated the Cinema Law, and that it was released without a license from state management agencies.

However, to date they have yet to issue any fines or other punishments due to the lack of legal framework.

After nearly one month waiting for guidance from the ministry, the director Tran Nguyen Bao Nhan, recently announced that they will continue their film project and plans to launch the second episode on July 20.

According to Nhan, the second episode will be a continuation of the first, with the three main characters Ky Nam, Ngoc Thao and Si Thanh, in addition to a homosexual character. Even before it was released, they promoted the show with sexually provocative posters.

A scene in the second episcode

Do Duy Anh, Deputy Director of the Cinema Department said, “We’ve watched the first episode of “Apartment 69” and regard it as a film. We’re still waiting for a conclusion from the ministry’s inspectorate before coming to a final decision on any punishments.”

Meanwhile, Vu Xuan Thanh, the ministry’s chief inspectorate, refused to make any comment at the moment.

Many are worried that while relevant authorities are waiting on one another and trying to pass responsibility off, the filmmaker will continue with the coming episodes of the planed 25-part series.

While the release of films and videos on Youtube has been popular for some years in Vietnam, the country still has not adjusted its old regulations on cinema to deal with new media. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is not in charge of supervising Internet operations, this is the responsibility of the Ministry of Information and Communication.