Loading ...Wondering about Lebanon's Ban on "Wonder Woman"?
By: Colby Cyrus/Contributing Writer
The current feature film Wonder Woman, a recent addition to most theaters across the world, has been almost unanimously praised. The key word is “almost”, due to Lebanon’s rather particular opinion on the new blockbuster.
Citing the Israeli background of lead actress Gal Gadot, Lebanon seeks to ban the major motion picture from receiving showtime in its cinemas, a number of international news outlets report. According to the Washington Post, the official process of a ban would require a formal action by the Lebanese Ministry of Economy, which has not yet begun to officially consider the matter.
Gadot, the lead actress, is an Israeli army veteran and a well-known supporter of Israel’s policies towards the Gaza Strip. Lebanon and Israel share a great deal of animosity, making her lead role more and more controversial.
The two nations are officially at war, Al Jazeera notes, which includes a Lebanese boycott of Israeli products and a restriction on Lebanese citizens traveling to Israel or having contact with its people.
Despite Lebanon’s skepticism, other local powers have not seemed to take issue with the movie. It will soon reach the big screen in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. Gadot’s most recent picture, Batman v. Superman, was permitted across Lebanon, although the 2016 rendition did not feature Gadot in a lead role.
The film has also raised eyebrows in the Middle East very recently. Last year, Wonder Woman was chosen as an honorary United Nations Ambassador for gender equality. The designation did not last long, as the United Nations ultimately revoked the honor two months after granting it to the renowned heroine.
In regards to the ban, the United Kingdom news outlet Independent reports that the Ministry of Economy is looking to take “all necessary measures” to ensure that the film does not reach Lebanese theaters, yet posters and other forms of advertising have already made their way to the streets of Beirut. Tens of thousands of people have signed the online petition opposing the screening.
Antipathy between the two nations is nothing new: they have been engaged in war for decades, stemming from a variety of political, military, and cultural diversions. Interestingly, the film in question has nothing to do with Israel or any inherent political issues. Yet the simple affiliation between the lead actress and the state of Israel proves enough to cause apprehension.
The Washington Post points out that Lebanon, while enjoying some of the freest speech in the region, still has a tendency to censor materials related to religion, homosexuality, and Israeli matters.
The issue as a whole begs the question of the relationship between cultural expression and political belief. Wonder Woman is not the first film to suffer this fate in Lebanon. Recently, the Egyptian picture Mawlana and the Lebanese film Beach House were turned down entirely, although both were permitted in Egypt.
Does the recent rejection of a major motion picture, acclaimed worldwide for its illustrious hero, illustrate more than just an ongoing dispute with Israel? Looking beyond the film, the controversy exemplifies an ongoing disruption of free speech in Lebanon, despite its advanced approach to the issue in comparison to its regional neighbors.
The mélange of politics and expression in Lebanon is nothing new, and is unlikely to change in the near future without any kind of accord with Israel. Until then, we can expect the recent past to repeat itself: that is to say, culture will continue on as an echo of regional politics.