Why ‘Barbie’ Is Banned in Vietnam
It’s just been announced that
Barbie (one of the year’s most anticipated films), has been banned in Vietnam. The
Greta Gerwig-directed film, which stars
Margot Robbie and
Ryan Gosling as the titular Barbie and Ken, is set to premiere on July 21st. With a promising soundtrack, vibrant cinematography, and an all-star cast of characters,
Barbie is shaping up to take the film world by storm. Despite it not being released yet, the film already has a huge fan following – with every trailer, clip, and promo image setting the internet ablaze with excitement.
But it’s now been reported by Reuters that the film won’t see a release in Vietnam due to a scene that has been deemed offensive. It isn’t the first time a film has been barred from premiering in the country, but it’s nonetheless shocking. Here’s what you need to know about the
Barbie ban.
The reason for the ban is due to a scene in which a map depicting the “nine-dash-line” is featured. The nine-dash-line is a U-shaped line that is used to illustrate the territory in the South China Sea, which both China and Vietnam claim as their own. The nine-dash-line is used in
Chinese maps to designate the country’s claim over 90 percent of the sea. The line affects more than just Vietnam though. The Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan
have long been in a border debate over the sea, and are all affected by China’s claim on it. Vi Kien Thanh, head of Vietnam’s Department of Cinema was quoted speaking to the state-run newspaper Tuoi Tre 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.” This was ultimately decided by the National Film Appraisal and Classification Board, which is responsible for the licensing and censoring of foreign movies in Vietnam.
As mentioned, Vietnam isn’t the only country affected by China’s claims on the sea, and it seems as though
the Philippines may be taking similar action towards the film. Philippines Senator Francis Tolentino spoke on this: “If the invalidated nine-dash line was indeed depicted in the movie
Barbie, then it is incumbent upon the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board of the Philippines to ban the same as it denigrates Philippine sovereignty.” He also added that a middle ground could be found if the studio edited out the scene, but it’s unknown whether the studio will agree.