- The movie “Barbie” directed by Greta Gerwig will be released in the Philippines, but with a blurred scene due to the controversy generated by a map.
- Warner Bros denies that the map represents the “nine dash line” (controversy with China) and ensures that it is a children’s drawing with no political intentions.
- This ban in Vietnam adds to other similar cases in which films have been censored for depictions affecting territorial disputes.
After a review by Philippine film censors, the Philippines decided to allow the commercial release of the movie “Barbie,” directed by Greta Gerwig.
However, the scene that generated controversy in other countries in the region will be out of focus.
Last week, as we reported on Merca2.0, the film was banned in Vietnam due to the inclusion of a scene with a map showing the disputed “nine dash line” claimed by China in the South China Sea.
For Vietnam, those Chinese claims violate their sovereignty and movies or other content products are prohibited from showing them.
In response to this concern, the Philippine Film and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) had said that it would investigate the movie “Barbie” in detail.
The Barbie movie hits theaters
Warner Bros denies that the map shown in the film represents the controversial “nine-dash line.”
According to a spokesperson for the Warner Bros. film group, the map is “a simple children’s drawing” illustrating Barbie’s fictional journey from Barbie Land to the real world. “Without the intent to make any political statement.”
The statement issued by the MTRCB supports this view, stating that the scene in question does not represent the “nine-dash line”, rather, it shows the fictional route of Barbie’s journey from Barbie Land to the real world, as an integral part of the story, public Variety This Wednesday, July 12.
The MTRCB has concluded that it has no reason to ban the “Barbie” movie as it does not show a clear and direct depiction of the said line.
Similarly, the MTRCB he asked Warner Bros. to erase the lines on the map.
In most of the world, The Barbie movie opens on July 20.
What is the “nine dash line”
The territorial dispute in the South China Sea involves several neighboring countries, including Vietnam, competing and overlapping in their territorial claims.
In 2016, a United Nations dispute resolution tribunal in The Hague ruled against the validity of China’s “nine-dash line.”
Although the ruling was binding, there are no clear mechanisms for its implementation and China has stated that it does not recognize the decision.
This is not the first time that similar depictions have caused trouble in Vietnam.
In 2019, DreamWorks’ animated film “Abominable” was banned for the same reason, and in 2022, the same thing happened with Sony’s “Unchartered.”
In addition, exhibitor CGV was fined for showing “Abominable” and staff from the Vietnam Film Department were penalized for failing to immediately detect offending images.
Film censorship in Vietnam demonstrates the sensitivity around territorial disputes in the region and how they affect the entertainment industry.
The world-famous Barbie franchise has become a cultural icon. However, events like this demonstrate how geopolitical conflicts can restrict its scope and generate controversy in different international markets.
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