Pixar Studios' latest animated film,

Buzz Lightyear

, which contains a fleeting kiss scene between two women living together, has been denied release in 14 countries and territories in the Middle East and Asia.

The list of these countries, which are overwhelmingly Muslim, is as follows: Malaysia, Indonesia, Lebanon, Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Territories, Syria, Iraq and the Arab Emirates. United.

Interracial couple of women who “have a child”.

It's in the next Buzz Lightyear movie.

Take your kids there!



Thanks Disney/Pixar.

pic.twitter.com/2GoUZNRke0

— Christopher Lannes (@c_lannes) June 15, 2022


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A deleted scene and a controversy

Buzz Lightyear

traces the birth of the intrepid astronaut made famous by the

Toy Story

saga .

In the film, Buzz and his fellow space rangers, including his leader and best friend Alisha Hawthorne, crash land on a hostile planet.

At one point in the film, Alisha's character can be seen briefly kissing his wife, a scene that was originally cut by Disney subsidiary Pixar Studios.

But Pixar and Disney employees protested, criticizing the attitude of the world's leading entertainment company, accused of not committing to defending the rights of LGBTQ + people.

The case was further reignited after Florida passed a controversial law banning teaching about sexual orientation in public schools.

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“A touching moment”

Bob Chapek, the CEO of the company which employs more than 75,000 people in its Disney World amusement park in Orlando, in this state in the south-east of the United States, was in turmoil after saying he hesitated to oppose this law.

Under pressure, Bob Chapek had finally publicly denounced it.

According to specialized Hollywood media, it was after these exchanges that the kissing scene was reinserted in

Buzz Lightyear

.

She now appears in all versions of the film, regardless of the country of destination.

The producer of the film, Galyn Susman, had broached the subject at the beginning of April by presenting the film.

“Being able to deliver that kiss was important to us.

It's a touching moment ”with great plot significance because it allows Buzz to realize that, unlike his friend, he does not have a loved one or a child, she explained.

Common censorship

The United Arab Emirates' Media Regulatory Office announced on Monday the ban on the animated film "due to a violation of the country's media content standards".

Authorities did not say how

Buzz Lightyear

violated those standards, or whether the kissing scene between two women was specifically at fault.

Posters of the film were already posted in the streets of the emirate of Dubai, which belongs to the Emirates.

The wealthy Gulf state has a Ministry of Tolerance.

It is relatively liberal compared to its neighbors but remains governed by many restrictions on political and social issues.

Censorship is a widespread practice in the Arab world, especially in the very conservative Gulf region.

Films that contain scenes considered to be injurious to morals are often cut or even completely banned.

Changes requested from Disney

Buzz Lightyear

should also not be shown in Indonesia or Malaysia, two countries in Southeast Asia with an ultra-majority Muslim population.

The film is not strictly speaking banned in Indonesia but the authorities say they are still waiting for the "final version" requested from Disney, in particular with the subtitles.

In Malaysia, the censorship board asked Disney to cut two scenes "which are not suitable for children", an interior ministry official who asked to remain anonymous told AFP.

The request was made last week and Disney has not yet responded to Malaysian authorities, the official added, who did not specify which two scenes were involved.

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  • Culture

  • disney

  • Movie theater

  • LGBT movement

  • Middle East

  • Asia