‘Barbie’ banned in parts of Pakistan – because of ‘offensive content’ Conservatives win Spanish elections – government formation likely to be difficult

Pakistan has banned the screening of the movie “Barbie” in its most populous province. The censorship authority in Punjab banned cinema showings, as the province’s information minister Ali Nawaz Awan confirmed to the German news agency on Monday.

This was justified with “offensive content”. While the film will air in other parts of the country, the province of about 127 million is considering a censored version to potentially allow for theatrical release. According to media reports, the film’s LGBTQ themes are the reason for the ban and censorship.

Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” tells the story of the iconic Barbie doll. The comedy is the first film adaptation with real actors. The Barbie doll has only appeared in animated films, never in a feature film with real actors.

Films are repeatedly censored or banned in Pakistan. Last year, the government banned the award-winning film “Joyland”. This is about the affair of a married Pakistani man with a trans woman. The film was later approved by the government after review by the National Censorship Board, but “Joyland” remained banned in Punjab, the most populous province. “Joyland” was the first Pakistani production to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Criticism came mainly from Islamic hardliners from Pakistan’s traditional strata. Lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals are repeatedly discriminated against. In May of this year, a transgender self-determination law introduced in 2018 was reversed.

(yam/sda/dpa)