Believe it or not, thousands of people in Russia are looking for secret Barbie screenings to go see the famous movie as soon as possible, despite the fact that the film is officially banned in the country due to Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
In recent days, children have been seen posing for pictures next to large cardboard posters featuring Margot Robbie, who plays Barbie, and Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken, in a shopping mall in Moscow, showing that Russians have also been captivated by the euphoria around the movie.
What’s Happening with Barbie in Russia?
After the invasion of Ukraine, major Hollywood studios stopped releasing movies in Russia. However, unauthorized copies are reportedly being released despite the boycott and have been dubbed into Russian. Among them, Barbie. To avoid licensing problems, some cinemas in that country have sold tickets for short films made in Russia while showing the Barbie movie as a preview, the BBC reports.
Some Russians have expressed that they believe it is their right to choose what they want to see, but the authorities have a different opinion on the matter. Last month, Russia’s Culture Ministry concluded that the Barbie movie does not align “with the goals and objectives set by our president to preserve and strengthen traditional Russian moral and spiritual values.” Maria Butina, a Russian MP, said in a BBC interview.
“Don’t break the law. Is this a question for our cinemas? Absolutely. I submitted several requests to cinemas asking on what basis they are showing the film.” A St. Petersburg resident confirmed that the cinemas are not advertising Barbie, but, the fact that they are secretly showing the film is spreading by word of mouth or through covert postings on the cinemas’ social media pages.
This article was written by Miguel Fernández in Cultura Colectiva
