Lifestyle

‘Vietnam Bans ‘Barbie’ Movie for Showcasing China’s Nine-Dash Line Map’

Vietnamese audiences will not be able to view the much-awaited movie Barbie in local theaters due to certain scenes that depict China's nine-dash-line map, which is seen to be a breach of Vietnam's sovereignty.

Administrator

10 July, 2023

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Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Department of Cinema, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, on July 3 informed the media of the decision made by the National Council for Film Appraisal and Classification after a review of the movie.

The movie, directed by Greta Gerwig and featuring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, was expected to hit the screen from July 21, the same day as in the United States, but cinema chains across Vietnam did not include it in their upcoming list, even as July already started, which sparked concerns over its availability.

The nine dash line is an egregious, unilateral map by China that claims much of the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea), including Vietnam’s two island chains of Truong Sa (Spratlys) and Hoang Sa (Paracels).

Vietnam has repeatedly stated its stance on the matter, saying it has sufficient historical evidence and legal grounds to assert claims over the East Sea and the two archipelagoes.

The Hague-based international arbitration court in 2016 announced its landmark ruling invalidating China’s nine-dash-line claims over the East Sea, a ruling that Vietnam welcomed.

Movie fans have expressed their regret on social media about not being able to see one of the most awaited films of the year in the theaters but remain supportive of the decision to reject the offending contents related to national territory and sovereignty.

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, also with a scheduled theatrical release on July 21, is being delayed for about two weeks in Vietnam pending appraisal from the national council, local media reported.