Vietnam Bans Movie for Map of South China Sea

Vietnam Bans Movie for Map of South China Sea

Abominable (bloomberg)

Vocabulary

overlap 
Verb
[oʊvərˈlæp]
: to extend over and partly cover; to cover the same area of knowledge, interest, etc.
The second layer of fiberglass cloth needs to overlap the first.
Our goals overlap with that of the government.

unfavorable
Adjective
[ənˈfeɪvərəbəl]
: having or showing a negative opinion of; likely to have negative outcome
Unfavorable economic conditions are causing many companies to hold onto their money.

claimant
Noun
[ˈkleɪmənt]
: a person or organization that asks for something they believe they have a right to
He was declared the rightful claimant to the Hungarian throne.

tribunal
Noun
[traɪˈbjuːnl]
: a special court, committee, etc. that deals with a particular problem
The case is to be investigated by the international war crimes tribunal.

censorship
Noun
[ˈsensərʃɪp]
the act of controlling content that is considered inappropriate, offensive, etc.
Censorship of the news media is a problem in many countries.

standoff
Noun
[ˈstænd ɔːf]
a situation in which an agreement cannot be reached
The standoff between protesters and the government entered its sixth week.

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Article

Vietnam Bans Movie for Map of South China Sea

Vietnam has removed the animated movie Abominable from theaters because it showed a map supporting Chinese claims to the South China Sea.

Abominable is the story of a Chinese girl who helps a yeti get back to its home on Mount Everest. It was made by DreamWorks Animation and China-based Pearl Studio.

One scene in the movie showed the "nine-dash line," a line around large parts of the South China Sea that China claims as its own territory. China's claims overlap with those of Vietnam and other Asian governments.

The movie was shown in Vietnamese theaters for a week before it was removed, the state-owned Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.

The government's cinema department checks movies for violence, sex and unfavorable political messages in Vietnam. The head of the department promised to be more careful in the future.

Information for Abominable has been removed from the Vietnamese distributors' website and social media, and ads for the movie were removed from theaters.

"It is an insult to Vietnam," said student Minh Hieu, who was looking for a movie to watch on a Tuesday afternoon.

Abominable began playing in the Philippines and another South China Sea claimant, Taiwan, in early October.

In a case brought by the Philippines, an international tribunal said China had no legal claim to the South China Sea in 2016. However, the Philippines have been less vocal about these claims since Rodrigo Duterte became president in 2016.

In Manila, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters that any decision about the movie was up to a government movie censorship board.

Vietnam's ban of the animated movie comes during an increasingly tense and months-long standoff between Vietnamese and Chinese ships in disputed Vanguard Bank off Vietnam.

south china sea (CNN news)

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Discussion

What are your thoughts on Vietnam's decision to remove Abominable from theaters?


Have you seen Abominable? If so, did you enjoy it? If not, do you plan to?


Do you know of any movies that have sparked controversy in your country?


How would you describe your country's relationship with China?


Have you been to Vietnam? If so, please share your experience. If not, would you like to?


Are you a fan of animated movies? If so, what are some of your favorites? If not, why not?


When was the last time you went to the cinema? What movie did you see?


What movies made in your country would you recommend? Why?


Are movies made in China popular in your country? Please explain your answer.


If you worked in the film industry, would you rather be in front of or behind the
camera? Why?


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Quotes

Politics and entertainment should not be mixed. – Jason Hu. Do you agree? Why? Why not?



Politics has become entertainment. – Joe Eszterhas. What do you make of this statement?