The "Barbie" movie was pulled from theaters in Algeria this week almost one month after its release in the North African country.
Online news outlet 24H Algerie said Algeria's Ministry of Culture and Arts notified cinemas in Algiers, Oran and Constantine to "immediately" pull the movie.
Neither the ministry nor the Algerian Audiovisual Regulatory Authority commented on the reported directive or provided a rationale for it.
"Barbie" opened in some some Algerian cinemas last month. The film's distributors removed the Hollywood blockbuster from their screening schedules starting this week..
The move comes after authorities in Kuwait and Lebanon banned the live action movie based on the American fashion dolls for allegedly threatening conservative values.
Some people in Algeria protested the cancellation on social media, posting their complaints along with the hashtag "#IAmBarbie." Others denounced it as "censorship" and "bigotry."
"The 'Barbie' film 'is a threat to morality,' they say," writer Leila Belkacem posted on her Facebook page. "What morality are they talking about when the censors gorge on porn films at home? Aren't you tired of dragging the country into your dark delusions?"
Fatima Ait Kaci, a retired teacher, told The Associated Press she had promised to take her two granddaughters, who were visiting from Canada, to see the movie. Ait Kaci said she heard what had happened to "Barbie" only when they arrived at the Riadh El Feth cinema in Algiers and discovered another film showing in the 3 p.m.-5 p.m. time slot.
Algerian authorities "don't have the courage to take responsibility for this shameful act of censorship," she said.
Last week, the Audiovisual Regulatory Authority announced its decision to "temporarily" suspend all programming by private TV channel Es Salam for allegedly broadcasting "in an irresponsible and unprofessional manner, a program containing scenes contrary to the precepts of Islam and the way of life of Algerian society."
"Barbie" contains no overt sexuality or references to LGBTQ+ rights. But it seems to have drawn fire because of its sheer flamboyance and broad message of inclusion and gender equality in a region where homosexuality is widely seen as taboo.
The Warner Bros. film has grossed over $1 billion worldwide since it's release.
Avid completes acquisition of Wolftech
Avid®, known for software solutions for professional media production, has completed the acquisition of Wolftech Broadcast Solutions, a leader in cloud-based multiplatform news planning, production and publishing solutions.
The acquisition enables Avid to combine its digital-first, end-to-end media solution with Wolftech’s expertise in story-centric workflow management. News organizations will be able to increase efficiency and accelerate story delivery through enhanced remote collaboration and multiplatform amplification.
Avid CEO Wellford Dillard stated, “Wolftech is unquestionably on the leading edge of where the industry is going, and this acquisition demonstrates Avid’s commitment to transform news, sports, and live production workflows. We are delighted to welcome Wolftech into the Avid family.”
Wolftech CEO Arne Berven added, “We were focused on finding a partner that could accelerate the adoption of our platform globally. We explored a number of possibilities, but when we talked to Avid, we knew it was the right match.”
The closing of the acquisition follows Avid’s announcement on October 7 that the company had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Wolftech.
With this acquisition, Avid deepens the integration between the two toolsets while continuing to embrace an open approach in partnering with a wide range of media production tools and newsroom systems. Existing Wolftech customers will benefit from Avid’s global scale for customer support and professional services.
Ian Axton, head of production operations for ITV News, said, “As a customer of both Avid and Wolftech we’re excited about the benefits this acquisition will bring to our users and our business. Wolftech has transformed... Read More