Warner Bros’ has responded after its highly-anticipated film Barbie sparked controversy and was banned in Vietnam over a selected scene displaying a disputed map. As per a brand new report, after dealing with backlash, a spokesperson for the Warner Bros Film Group stated that the scene did not ‘intend to make any kind of assertion’. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the movie stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling within the lead roles. (Also Read | Barbie Movie faces potential ban in a foreign country amidst controversial scene)
How the row over a scene in Barbie began
The movie has a scene, as per Variety, that depicts a map with the “nine dash line”. It is a illustration of China’s territorial claims within the South China Sea, which Vietnam stated that it violates its sovereignty. The specific map scene led to the movie’s ban in Vietnam. The movie was set to hit theatres in Vietnam on July 21, aligning with its big-screen launch in most international locations around the globe.
What has Warner Bros stated
Speaking with Variety, the Warner Bros spokesperson stated, “The map in Barbie Land is a child-like crayon drawing. The doodles depict Barbie’s make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the ‘real world.’ It was not intended to make any type of statement.” The childlike map, with scribbles and a hashtag, drew the eye of Vietnam earlier this week. The stated scene has a board with the world map roughly drawn on it. Next to Asia, there are solely eight traces and never in form at par with official international maps.
Why Vietnam selected to ban Barbie
News company ANI quoted Vietnam state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper citing the top Department of Cinema Vi Kien Thanh as saying, “We do not grant license for the American movie Barbie to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line.” Vi Kien Thanh stated the choice was determined by Vietnam’s National Film Evaluation Council.
Row has erupted earlier too
This is just not the primary time the inclusion of the nine-dash line has stirred controversy within the cinematic scene. In the previous, the MTRCB blocked the discharge of the movie Uncharted within the Philippines because of related considerations. In 2019, DreamWorks’ Abominable was banned for a similar purpose.
TV sequence Put Your Head On My Shoulder and Madam Secretary was informed to delete sure scenes containing the map in 2020. Netflix needed to take away the Australian spy drama Pine Gap from streaming in Vietnam in 2021, as per New York Post.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com