It has been reported that Alegeria banned the Barbie movie from its screens less than a month after it has been released.
According to the Online news outlet 24H Algerie the movie Algeria’s Ministry of Culture and Arts notified cinemas in Algiers, Oran and Constantine to “immediately” pull the film.
Neither the ministry nor the Algerian Audiovisual Regulatory Authority commented on the reported directive or provided a rationale for it.
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Fans have taken to social media to protest the decision to pull the movie using the hashtag “IAMBARBIE.”
After first hitting screens last month, the film, directed by Greta Gerwig, has smashed records, becoming the fastest film to gross $ 1 billion (£784m) in just 17 days.
(Image: © 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.)
This comes after the Middle Eastern countries of Lebanon and Kuwait chose to restrict the film’s showings for fear of promoting homosexuality to a wider audience.
In both countries, male homosexuality is illegal, with men who are caught or even suspected of being gay potentially facing a jail sentence.
For LGBTQ+ Lebanese men, being convicted of homosexuality can lead to a year in prison, whereas in Kuwait, the penalty can range anywhere from a fine to up to six years in jail.
(Image: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Lebanon’s culture minister moved to ban the film from cinemas on Wednesday (August 9), saying that the queer themes in the film could lead to “an imminent danger” for the country.
He added that the movie’s morals “contradicts values of faith and morality”, believing that the traditional family idea would be put at risk by the film, which was due to hit screens there at the end of August.
Interior Minister for the country, Bassam Mawlawi asked censors in the country to review the film and give their recommendations on the future of the movie’s screening.
(Image: FILM STILL / HANDOUT)
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Similarly in Kuwait, the Ministry of Information said on Wednesday that the film promotes ideals and beliefs “that are alien to Kuwaiti society and public order”.
This is despite the fact that there are no explicit scenes where same-sex relationships are publicly shown in the film.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
