Barbie gone astray? Serbia's alleged film ban in a fact check

“Barbie bans Serbia!” These were the headlines on numerous social networks recently, with the accusation that the Hollywood blockbuster was banned in Serbia due to a distorted Balkan map from the film. But is that really the case? Here comes the fact check!

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“Barbie movie banned in Serbia because of 'Greater Albania map'” – The headline of a viral image online made people sit up and take notice. A screenshot purportedly from Warner Bros.' hit Barbie film shows a map of the Balkans. The “Greater Albania” map, which shows a missing state in North Macedonia, a shrunken Greece and a red line through Serbia, caused a stir. But what is behind this claim? We got to the bottom of the matter.

The truth behind the viral story

The story, which circulated online, was quickly shared in various languages ​​- from Albanian to Spanish to English - on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. It even went so far that a TikTok post from July 5, 2023 received more than 1.7 million views. After the film premiered on July 21, 2023, the story gained new attention.

In fact, the film has met with resistance in some countries. Vietnam banned the film because of a scene in which a map shows China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. Pakistan's Punjab province also delayed the film's broadcast to determine whether it might violate the country's social and cultural values.

But what about in Serbia?

The claim that Serbia banned the Barbie movie is false. The Barbie film, which according to a Warner Bros. spokesperson grossed a whopping $265,000 on its opening weekend in Serbia, was actually the highest-grossing premiere of 2023 and the second-highest-grossing Warner Bros. premiere in Serbia ever.

In addition, film fans in Serbia were able to purchase tickets online to see the film in various cinemas in the country, including the largest cinema chain, Cineplexx, as well as Tuckwood Cineplex and MTS Dvorana in the center of Belgrade, the capital.

The fake map and made-up headlines

The rumor of the supposed “Greater Albania” map turned out to be a manipulation of a still from the scene that got the film banned in Vietnam. This map does not exist in the film.

The viral posts claiming the Barbie movie was banned also included made-up headlines. An investigation found that the photo circulating online was similar to the BBC News article layout, although the British news agency never reported that Serbia blocked the film's broadcast.

Finally, here is an overview of the facts:

ClaimsFact check
Serbia banned the Barbie movie because of a “Greater Albania” map.Incorrect. The Barbie film was not banned in Serbia and grossed $265,000 in its opening weekend.
The posts circulating online show a screenshot from the Barbie movie.Incorrect. The alleged screenshot shows a manipulated version of a scene that got the film banned in Vietnam.
BBC News reported on the ban of the Barbie film in Serbia.Incorrect. BBC News never reported that Serbia blocked the film's broadcast.
The fact table at a glance

The Barbie movie certainly made its waves, but it seems like the Serbian ban rumor is more fiction than fact. Despite everything, the Barbie film remains unbanned in Serbia and delights the audience. So not everything that appears at first glance on the Internet is always true.


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Also read: The “Heat Bonus” Hoax: A slap in the face to the poor and needy

Source:

AFP fact check


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )