About 25 days after it began showing in Algeria, the Ministry of Culture and Arts decided to withdraw the license to show the film from cinemas, according to Algerian media reports.
Al-Shorouk newspaper reported, according to what it described as informed sources, that the ministry had withdrawn the license to show “Barbie” granted to the “MD Cine” distribution company, and the company had removed the film from its weekly program, which was published on its official Facebook page.
The arrest decision, according to Echorouk, came after the wave of controversy sparked by the film, which was considered contrary to the values and morals of Algerian society, especially as it was directed at youth and children.
The Algerian journalist, Ali Boukhalef, confirmed, in an interview with Al-Hurra, that it was banned, noting that the Ministry of Culture had asked the distributing company to “stop broadcasting.”
The company did not explain the reasons, according to the journalist, noting that the decision came after condemnation of “promoting homosexuality” by some, including the journalist on Algerian television, Abdelali Mezghish.
And Mazghish wrote in his account on Facebook According to a “reliable source”, the Ministry of Culture and Arts “withdrew the license to show the movie “Barbie”. The ban on showing the movie came after the controversy that accompanied some of its scenes classified as contrary to the values of society.
The screening of “Barbie”, directed by Greta Gerouj, opened in Algerian cinemas on July 19th.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain allowed the screening of the fictional comedy film, starting from August 10.
In Kuwait, however, the Kuwait News Agency reported that the Film Censorship Committee decided to ban the “Barbie movie” due to its keenness “to prevent everything that offends public morals or incites violations of public order, customs and traditions.”
In Lebanon, the Lebanese Minister of Culture, Abbas Mortada, moved to prevent its presentation, saying that it “promotes homosexuality and sexual transformation … and contradicts moral and faith values,” he said.
