- The movie “Barbie” is banned in Vietnam due to a controversial map.
- The territorial dispute in the South China Sea and the representation of the “nine dash line” generate controversy.
- This censorship reflects Vietnam’s sensitivity to China’s violations of its sovereignty.
The Vietnamese authorities have banned the commercial projection of the film “Barbie”, directed by Greta Gerwig.
The highly anticipated Warner Bros. film, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, It was scheduled to premiere in that country, as well as in Mexico and all of Latin America, on July 21.
However, a scene showing a map with the so-called “nine dash line”, used by China to establish its territorial claims in the South China Sea, sparked controversy because it overlaps with Vietnamese intentions.
The Director General of the Film Department of Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vi Kien Thanh, said Monday, July 3, that the ban was decided by the National Film Evaluation Council.
The harsh measure reflects Vietnam’s position regarding the violation of its sovereignty by China through the map that appears in the new Barbie movie.
the barbie movie
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.
The Vietnamese state newspaper Tuoi Tre reported that the Department of Cinema of that country has not granted the license for the release of the movie “Barbie”, citing the offensive image of the “nine dash line”.
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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