Nearly a month after its premiere in Algeria, the “Barbie” movie was pulled from theaters this week.
The movie has been “immediately” pulled from theaters in Algiers, Oran, and Constantine, according to online news source 24H Algerie.
The alleged directive was not addressed by the ministry or the Algerian Audiovisual Regulatory Authority, and neither did they offer an explanation.
Last month, “Barbie” had its premiere at a few cinemas in Algeria. Beginning this week, the movie’s distributors stopped scheduling screenings of the Hollywood hit.
This action follows the live-action film based on the American fashion dolls being prohibited by Kuwaiti and Lebanese authorities for supposedly undermining traditional values.
On social media, some Algerians voiced their displeasure with the cancellation along with the hashtag “#IAmBarbie.” Others called it “censorship” and “bigotry.”
They claim that the movie “Barbie” “is a threat to morality,” as author Leila Belkacem said on her Facebook page. What morals are they referring to when they watch a ton of porn at home? Don’t you get tired of leading the nation into your gloomy delusions?
The Associated Press was informed by retired teacher Fatima Ait Kaci that she had committed to taking her two granddaughters, who were coming from Canada, to see the film. Ait Kaci claimed she didn’t learn what had happened to “Barbie” until they got to the Riadh El Feth theater in Algiers and saw another movie scheduled for the 3:00–5:00 p.m. time period.
She claimed that the Algerian government “don’t have the courage to accept responsibility for this shameful act of censorship.”
The private TV channel Es Salam’s programming has been “temporarily” suspended, the Audiovisual Regulatory Authority announced last week. This is because Es Salam allegedly broadcast “in an irresponsible as well as unprofessional manner, a show containing scenes contrary to the precepts of Islam as well as the way of life of Algerian society.”
There are no overt sexual references or mentions of LGBTQ+ rights in “Barbie”. However, it appears to have sparked controversy due to its overt flamboyance and inclusive message of gender equality in a place where homosexuality is traditionally seen as taboo.
Since its debut, the Warner Bros. movie has made over $1 billion globally.