Qatar has banned Eddie Redmayne’s new movie ‘The Danish Girl’ following online protests about the “depravity” of the film.
The movie that tells the story of transgender pioneer Lili Elbe had already opened at a few cinemas in Qatar’s capital Doha before authorities demanded the film be pulled from theatres. It’s been rated a 15 in the UK for “nudity in a sexual context”.
Qatar newspaper The Peninsula says the withdrawal followed an online campaign against the film saying “many people had requested for a ban of the movie on social media platforms as the movie is against the local culture.”
One Qatar national tweeted: “I watched the trailer of the film and it should not be screened here. It contains enough moral depravity to go around the world.”
Qatar’s ministry of culture responded by banning the film, revealing the news on Twitter: “We would like to inform you that we have contacted the concerned department and the screening of the Danish film is now banned from cinemas. We thank your unwavering vigilance.”
The Middle Eastern nation is no stranger to banning or censoring movies. Biblical epics ‘Exodus’ and ‘Noah’ were both banned outright, while ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ was only screened following the excision of 50 minutes of footage.
‘The Danish Girl’ is in cinemas now.
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Image credits: Twitter/Universal Pictures