The politics of Barbie Land just became a lot more real.
After the Greta Gerwig-directed film was banned in Vietnam prior to its July 21 release date, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. responded to claims that a map featured in the trailer features the “nine-dash line,” which indicates China‘s territorial claims over the South China Sea in areas Vietnam say deny its own sovereignty.
“The map in Barbie Land is a child-like crayon drawing,” the spokesperson told Variety. “The doodles depict Barbie’s make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the ‘real world.’ It was not intended to make any type of statement.”
Vi Kien Thanh, director general of the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, announced July 3 that “Barbie” will not be allowed to commercially screen in the country, as decided by the National Film Evaluation Council.
“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,” the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper stated, citing Thanh’s statement.
This is not the first time a depiction of the “nine-dash line” has proven to be an issue for film and TV projects in Vietnam. An arbitration under the United Nations ruled against the validity of the “nine-dash line” in 2016, but China has stated it does not recognize the decision. Previous films like “Abominable” and “Uncharted” were similarly banned in Vietnam for the same geographic reason, and series like “Madam Secretary,” “Pine Gap,” and “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” were also criticized by Vietnam.
“Barbie” instead has leaned into the fantastical elements of living a plastic life, emphasizing abstract philosophies over politics. For all the details on “Barbie,” click here. The film opens in theaters on Friday, July 21.
