As the 'Seven years in Tibet' film was being released, it was condemned by the government of the People's Republic of China, stating that Communist Chinese military officers were intentionally shown as impolite, brutal and arrogant. Director Jean-Jacques Annaud and stars Brad Pitt and David Thewlis were banned from ever entering China. However, in 2012 Annaud has chaired the jury of the Shanghai Film Festival, so it is not clear how serious this ban is.