Margot Robbie’sBarbiemovie raises questions among international audiences due to a specific scene recognizing an Asian political conflict. This controversy has sparked conversations about whether some countries should allow the commercial release of the feature in their region. Recently, another nation has joined the debate and could banBarbiefrom its national release schedule.
This past July 3, authorities in Vietnam prohibitedBarbiemovie screenings in their country. The policy came after it was revealed that the film depicted a map with the “nine-dash line,” a set of line segments in a map that asserts China’s territorial claims of the South China Sea, which Vietnam claims violates their sovereignty. “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,” wrote the state-run newspaper Tuoi Tre.
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A day later, the Philippines joins Vietnam’s battle against the depiction of the sea lines and is looking to ban directorGreta Gerwig’sBarbiemoviein their country,Varietyreports. On Tuesday, Philippines Senator and vice chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, Francis Tolentino, told local media that if it were true that the nine-dash line appeared on the movie, “then it is incumbent upon the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to ban the same as it denigrates Philippine sovereignty.” Later that same day, the MTRCB released a statement confirming they are reviewing the film’s classification but did not provide further explanation.
However, a total nationalBarbiemovie ban is not the only option. Both parties are willing to compromise, as alternatives include omitting the scene that depicts the nine-dash line or editing the map. Another procedure would be for Philippine cinemas distributing the film to show an explicit disclaimer that the nine-dash line is “a figment of China’s imagination,” Senator Risa Hontiveros said.
Since the 20th century, territory in the South China Sea— which contains some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, rich fishing grounds, and mineral resources— has been disputed byChina and its surrounding neighbors. However, in 2016, a United States dispute resolution tribunal ruled unanimously against the validity of China’s assertion and, therefore, the nine-dash line. But since then, no concrete implementation mechanism has been put in place to uphold the decision, and China has said it does not recognize the decision.
Moreover, this is not the first time the nine-dash line has caused controversy in the cinematic scene. Last year, the MTRCBblocked the release ofUnchartedin the Philippines. Similarly, DreamWorks' animated filmAbominablewas banned in Vietnam for the same reasons, and series likePut Your Head On My ShouldersandMadam Secretarywere told to delete scenes containing such maps.
