Film school: No plastic surgery

BEIJING - Those pursuing dreams of stardom might be wise to think twice about making permanent changes to their appearance after the performance institute of Beijing Film Academy announced that those who have tattoos or have undergone plastic surgery will be disqualified from entrance examinations, which are underway this month.

"The changes in their faces or other parts of the body, and the tattoos too, might affect their performance when they are trying to depict a figure in a play," said Wang Jinsong, deputy director of the performance institute of the academy.

Many people are in favor of the institute's decision, saying the plastic surgery is like cheating and against the principle of fairness and justice.

"It's too utilitarian for those people to undergo cosmetic surgery," said Wang Yousen, a high school student in North China's Shanxi province, who came all the way to the capital for the enrollment examination.

"That's fraud," he said.

The 20-year-old student said it would make no sense for all actors and actresses to look exactly like each other and fit a certain "aesthetic standard". Having an oval face or double eyelids does not matter. What matters is your performance, he said.

"It's your acting that makes sense, not your face," he said.

"The kids are too immature physically to undergo the plastic surgery, and most of the kids have no idea what they are doing," said Jiang Hongmei, a woman from East China's Shandong province, who accompanied her son to the academy's examination for the second time.

Because their bones are still growing, kids this young should not undergo operations for double eyelids or higher noses, Jiang said.

Jiang's opinion was echoed by Li Jianning, director of the Department of Plastic Surgery of the Beijing University Third Hospital.

He said that those under the age of 20 are advised against plastic surgery because they are not mentally prepared yet.

"They are not mature enough to make such a decision in their life yet," he said.

According to the data released by the Ministry of Health in October 2010, some 3 million plastic surgeries were conducted in China in 2009.

"A lot of those who demand plastic surgery are high school and college students, and the percentage can get as high as 70 percent or 80 percent during the winter and summer vocations," said Li. "The academy's ban on cosmetic surgery is definitely a rectification of the distorted pursuit of beauty."

However, some hold dissenting opinions.

"It's your personal right to have cosmetic surgery," said Yang Qindi, 17, a student from the PLA Academy of the Arts and candidate for the enrollment exam of the Beijing Film Academy.

In response, Wang Jinsong said the institute worries those who have undergone plastic surgery might have body coordination problems, and the scars left after the surgery would prevent them from performing a role properly in a play.

"We want to pick out the 'natural beauties' with performance talent," Wang said.

Wang said it is okay to have certain adjustments, like wearing a dental brace, but restructuring bones or modifying the nose is out of the question.

Director Li said most operations will not cause any problems if done properly. And the scars are usually well hidden and not easily discovered.

But he also admitted some surgeries, if not properly conducted, would seriously affect daily life.

"You can't even laugh if your chin bones are not properly filled up," said Li. "That will surely affect your work as an actor."

According to the academy, of the 6,185 candidates applying for the institute, only more than 1,000 people will be admitted in the first round.