'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A recent twist in the Barbie narrative saw the Greta Gerwig directorial getting banned in Vietnam. The news comes after the film allegedly used a map that depicted the infamous U-shaped "nine-dash line," which is used by China for staking its claim at the South China Sea, including swathes of what Vietnam. This is a particularly sensitive issue, which is considered a form of oppression by the Vietnamese and has thus led to the ban of the movie.
However, the executives of the film and the production company allegedly do not believe that the ban is fair, considering that the map depicted in the film's trailer is a "child-like crayon drawing" and does not intend to depict anything concrete or make a statement. Addressing this issue, a spokesperson for the Warner Bros. Film Group told Variety:
"The map in Barbie Land is a child-like crayon drawing,...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."
Despite this, the Vietnam government has responded with great urgency to this depiction and banned the film's commercial screening. However, it is yet to be seen if Barbie will receive a digital release or streaming ban in the country.
What is the nine-dash line, and how has it been used in Barbie?
Looking at the response and the colorful movie, many may think that this is a light issue. However, it is not the case for the Vietnamese, who have been fighting China over its own territories for quite some time.
According to Reuters, the infamous nine-dash line is used "on Chinese maps to illustrate its claims over vast areas of the South China Sea, including swathes of what Vietnam considers its continental shelf." This serves as a power move for the Chinese government as well, leading to the sensitivity of the topic. Moreover, a previous ruling from the UN also refuted this Chinese claim, but China refused to acknowledge the ruling, leading to further turmoil.
Barbie is not even the first film to be banned in the country for this very reason. Previously, a handful of projects also suffered the same fate, including DreamWorks' animated film Abominable.
Coming to Barbie, the map depicted in the trailer is hardly one that resembles anything serious. The map shown in the blink-and-miss scene is more of a childish drawing than a real map. In the film, Barbie decides to take a journey to the real world and hence draws a map of our world. Reports have suggested that the lines on Barbie's maps are merely "journey lines" that are often used in animated movies to show a character's path.
Gerwig and her team have refused to comment on this subject, especially after the news of this line has been going around in the past couple of days. As of now, it does not seem like this issue has a concrete solution, with WB keen on making it clear that they did not mean to hurt any sentiments in the process.
Barbie is set to premiere alongside Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer on July 21, 2023. The film stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Emma McKay, Simu Liu, Dua Lipa, and Will Ferrell, among many others.
