Manila — The Philippine censors announced on Wednesday that they have granted permission for the “Barbie” movie to be shown in cinemas. However, they requested the film’s distributor to blur certain lines on a colorful world map that allegedly shows China’s claims to the disputed South China Sea. The fantasy comedy film, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is set to release in the Southeast Asian nation on July 19.
Following two reviews of the film and consultations with foreign affairs officials and legal experts, the government’s Movie and Television Review and Classification Board decided to allow its screening.
The South China Sea and the nine-dash line
The examination by censors began last week after Vietnam reportedly banned the movie due to scenes featuring a map displaying the so-called nine-dash line, which China utilizes to justify its maritime claims. Despite rival claims from other Southeast Asian nations such as the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam, Beijing asserts its ownership over almost the entire South China Sea.
In April, China accused the U.S. of “endangering regional peace” by signing a new deal with the Philippines, allowing the presence of U.S. troops in four additional bases, including one near the disputed South China Sea and another close to Taiwan. Manila and Washington, as long-time treaty allies, agreed in February to expand cooperation in strategic areas of the Philippines in response to China’s growing assertiveness over self-governed Taiwan and its construction of bases in the South China Sea.
A concession for Barbie’s “cartoonish map”
After meticulous examination of the film, the Philippine censors were convinced that the “cartoonish map” did not depict the nine-dash line. “Instead, the map portrayed the route of Barbie’s imaginary journey from Barbie Land to the real world, as an integral part of the story,” stated the censorship board in a released statement. They further explained that in the map, lines drawn in a child-like manner were visible around landmasses representing Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Asia. However, only eight dashes were found surrounding the landmass labeled as “Asia.” The Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia were also absent from the map, setting it apart from previously banned movies like “Abominable (2019)” and “Uncharted (2022).” In response to criticism from Senator Francis Tolentino regarding the film’s impact on Filipino fishermen’s rights, the censors informed him that they had asked Warner Bros, the Hollywood studio behind the film, to blur the controversial lines on the map.
The Department of Foreign Affairs expressed appreciation for the opportunity to view “Barbie” to ensure it does not go against national interests. Warner Bros did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment, but a spokesperson for the studio was quoted by Variety as saying that the map was a “child-like crayon drawing” and was “not intended to make any type of statement.” The approval of “Barbie” in the Philippines coincided with the seventh anniversary of an international ruling that invalidated China’s historical claims to the South China Sea.
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