Qatar bans sex change film 'The Danish Girl'
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
Published: 12 Jan, 2016 CET.
Updated: Tue 12 Jan 2016 08:20 CET
Qatar has banned "The Danish Girl" movie -- about an artist who undergoes one of the world's first sex changes and which stars Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne -- from cinemas, officials announced on Monday.
The move follows protests online about the "depravity" of the film, which had begun screening at some cinemas in Doha this month.
"We would like to inform you that we have contacted the concerned administration and the screening of the Danish film is now banned from cinemas," the culture ministry wrote on Twitter.
"We thank you for your unwavering vigilance."
The film, which is loosely based on the lives of Danish painters Lile Elbe and Gerda Wegener in the 1920s, had first been screened in Qatar last Thursday.
One member of staff at a Doha cinema, who did not wish to be named, said authorities had told them to remove the film on Monday. It was immediately pulled.
Redmayne, who won an Oscar last year for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything", plays pioneering transgender woman Elbe in the movie.
Its screening though had provoked an angry reaction among some cinemagoers.
The Doha News website reported that some had taken to social media to complain that the movie was being screened in Qatar, and one viewer complained about the film's "moral depravity" after seeing the trailer.
Comments
See Also
The move follows protests online about the "depravity" of the film, which had begun screening at some cinemas in Doha this month.
"We would like to inform you that we have contacted the concerned administration and the screening of the Danish film is now banned from cinemas," the culture ministry wrote on Twitter.
"We thank you for your unwavering vigilance."
The film, which is loosely based on the lives of Danish painters Lile Elbe and Gerda Wegener in the 1920s, had first been screened in Qatar last Thursday.
One member of staff at a Doha cinema, who did not wish to be named, said authorities had told them to remove the film on Monday. It was immediately pulled.
Redmayne, who won an Oscar last year for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything", plays pioneering transgender woman Elbe in the movie.
Its screening though had provoked an angry reaction among some cinemagoers.
The Doha News website reported that some had taken to social media to complain that the movie was being screened in Qatar, and one viewer complained about the film's "moral depravity" after seeing the trailer.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.