The latest animated film from Pixar studios, Buzz Lightningwhich contains a fleeting kiss scene between two women living together, has not been granted an operating visa in fourteen countries and territories in the Middle East and Asia, we learned on Tuesday June 13 from a source having had access to the file.
According to this source, the list of these countries, the vast majority of which are Muslim, is as follows: Malaysia, Indonesia, Lebanon, Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Territories, Syria, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.
Buzz Lightning traces the birth of the intrepid astronaut made famous by the saga Toy Story. In the film, Buzz and his fellow space rangers, including his leader and best friend Alisha Hawthorne, crash land on a hostile planet.
At one point in the film, Alisha’s character can be seen briefly kissing his wife, a scene that was originally cut by Disney subsidiary Pixar Studios.
But Pixar and Disney employees rose up, criticizing the attitude of the world’s number one entertainment company, accused of not committing to defending the rights of LGBTQ + people.
The controversy was further reignited after the adoption in Florida of a controversial law prohibiting teaching on sexual orientation in public schools. Bob Chapek, the CEO of the company which employs more than 75,000 people at its Disney World theme park in Orlando, in the southeastern state of the United States, had found himself in turmoil after he said he hesitated to oppose this law. Under pressure, Bob Chapek had finally publicly denounced this law.
According to specialized Hollywood media, it was following this controversy that the kissing scene was reinserted into Buzz Lightning. She now appears in all versions of the film, regardless of the country of destination.
The film’s producer, Galyn Susman, broached the subject in early April when presenting the film to the press. “Being able to get that kiss back was important to us. It’s a touching moment” having a great significance in the plot because it allows Buzz to realize that, unlike his friend, he does not have a loved one or a child, she had explained.
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But the producer insisted: “we always had the lesbian couple” trained by Alisha and her wife, which they had despite the initial cut “always part of the movie”.
The United Arab Emirates Media Regulatory Office had announced on Monday June 12 the ban on the animated film “due to a violation of the media content standards in force in the country”. The authorities did not specify how Buzz Lightning violated these standards or whether the scene of the kiss between two women was specifically at issue.
Posters of the film were already posted in the streets of the emirate of Dubai, which belongs to the Emirates. The wealthy Gulf state has a Ministry of Tolerance. It is relatively liberal compared to its neighbors but remains governed by many restrictions on political and social issues.
Censorship is a widespread practice in the Arab world, especially in the very conservative Gulf region. Films that contain scenes considered to be injurious to morals are often cut or even completely banned.
Buzz Lightning Nor should it be screened in Indonesia or Malaysia, two countries in Southeast Asia with an ultra-majority Muslim population. “We suggested that the owners of the film think about their audience in Indonesia, where a kiss between LGBT people is still considered sensitive”told AFP Rommy Fibri Hardiyanto, head of the censorship commission under the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Culture.
The film is not strictly speaking banned in Indonesia but the authorities say they are still waiting for the “definitive version” requested from Disney, especially with the subtitles. “The ball is in their court”said Rommy Fibri Hardiyanto.
In Malaysia, the censorship board asked Disney to cut two scenes “not suitable for children”told AFP an official of the Ministry of the Interior who asked to remain anonymous.
The request was made last week and Disney has not yet responded to Malaysian authorities, the official added, who did not specify which two scenes were involved.