Kuwait City, Kuwait – Kuwait has prohibited the screening of the popular movie “Barbie” in cinemas due to concerns related to “public ethics,“
According to officials. They have also confirmed a separate ban on a horror film featuring a transgender actor.
Lafy Al-Subei’e, the head of Kuwait’s cinema censorship committee, stated that both “Barbie” and “Talk to Me” promote ideas and beliefs that are considered foreign to Kuwaiti society and disruptive to public order, as reported by the official KUNA news agency.
When considering foreign films, the committee typically mandates the censorship of scenes that violate public ethics. However, in cases where a film conveys foreign concepts, messages, or unacceptable behavior, the committee may decide to completely ban the film in question, Subei’e explained.
Gulf Arab states like Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is prohibited, frequently censor films containing LGBTQ references. Most recently, they banned the latest Spider-Man animation in June, reportedly due to a scene featuring a transgender pride flag.
Interestingly, “Barbie,” which has grossed over $1 billion worldwide, is still being shown in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain. Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada has requested a ban on “Barbie” for allegedly “promoting homosexuality,” despite the film lacking explicit references to same-sex relationships or queer themes.
As for “Talk to Me,” which is being screened in Emirati and Saudi theaters, it features Australian transgender actor Zoe Terakes but does not contain explicit LGBTQ references. Terakes addressed the ban with a statement on social media, emphasizing, “Our film doesn’t have queer themes. I am a trans actor who happened to get the role. I’m not a theme. I’m a person,” adding that they identify as non-binary.
