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The
five-minute dramatization, released this week, touches on a
highly sensitive topic in China. The ruling Communist Party has
never declared how many people died in the crackdown and
discussion of the incident is censored on social media.
The video shows the photographer hiding and running from
Chinese-speaking policemen before taking a picture that has come
to symbolize the protests - the "tank man" - a protester
standing in front of a convoy of tanks to block their path. The
video ends with the Leica logo.
The hashtag "Leica insulting China" surfaced on China's
Twitter-like Weibo late on Thursday, before being censored.
Users left hundreds of comments on Leica's official Weibo
account criticizing the company for the video.
"Get out of China, you are done," one user posted.
Others cheered the video as daring ahead of the 30th anniversary
of the crackdown on June 4, but the majority of posts were
scrubbed from Chinese social media by Friday and the comments
section on two of its most recent Weibo posts were disabled.
Users were also prevented from posting messages using Leica's
English or Chinese name with warnings that they were violating
laws, regulations or the Weibo community guidelines.
Leica did not respond to several calls and emails from Reuters
seeking comment on the video, which included other
dramatizations about news photography.
However, Leica spokeswoman Emily Anderson was quoted by Hong
Kong's South China Morning Post as saying the video was not an
officially sanctioned marketing film commissioned by the firm.
"Leica Camera AG must therefore distance itself from the content
shown in the video and regrets any misunderstandings or false
conclusions that may have been drawn," it quoted her as saying
by email, adding that the firm had taken measures to not share
the film on Leica's social media channels.
The video was created by Brazilian ad agency F/Nazca Saatchi &
Saatchi and published on its verified Twitter account on April
16 with a tweet in Portuguese that said: "Inspired by the
stories of photographers who spare no effort so that everyone
can witness reality, Leica pays tribute to these brave
professionals."
Advertising websites such as Ads of the World republished the
video saying it was created for Leica.
Some netizens suggested the video could put pressure on Chinese
telecoms equipment provider Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, which
uses Leica lenses in its flagship high-end phones.
Huawei declined to comment while F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi,
which has previously produced videos for Leica, did not
immediately respond to requests for comment.
Several foreign companies have been tripped up by touching on
certain topics that can provoke strong public reactions in
China, including calls for boycotts.
Last year, companies ranging from Delta Air Lines to Muji were
criticized by the Chinese government and netizens for the
language they used to describe Taiwan, a self-ruled, democratic
island that Beijing considers a wayward province.
(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Neil Fullick)
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