Movies Banned in Foreign Countries for Weird Reasons

Keeping in mind the amount of gratuitous violence and rape that goes on in David Fincher’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, India’s decision to bar the film from showing there is easy to understand, albeit unfortunate from a creative standpoint. But the highly publicized decision got us thinking about some of the less obvious justifications some countries have used to keep foreign movies from their theaters. We’ve rounded up a handful of the oddest bannings from around the world for your consideration after the jump.

Zoolander (2001) banned in Iran

In an effort to adhere to a very particular interpretation of Islamic code, Iran has a strict policy of banning any film that depicts homosexuality or promotes gay rights. Even though there isn’t anything explicitly “gay” about any of the characters in Zoolander, apparently Ben Stiler, Owen Wilson, and the fantastical fashion industry in the film were all just a little too fabulous for Iran’s liking. Then again, with the turmoil that’s been going on in the Middle East, maybe the government is just afraid that all the male models are going to get funny ideas about assassinating political leaders.

Sex and the City 2 (2010), banned in the United Arab Emirates

Even though the popular franchise’s second film was set in Abu Dhabi, the National Media Council for the United Arab Emirates banned the movie from being released there, citing a conflict of “cultural values.” Makes sense, seeing as the UAE didn’t even let the movie shoot in Abu Dhabi – it was actually filmed in Morocco, which leads us to wonder why Carrie and her gang didn’t just go there instead. We’re sure they could have found some women in hijab to “liberate” in Casablanca, too, or whatever it was they thought they were doing on their “exotic” vacation. The fact that they went ahead with the pretense of being in Abu Dhabi when they actually weren’t only contributed to the UAE’s decision to ban the film.

Avatar (2010), banned in China

The People’s Republic of China only permits 20 foreign films to be screened per year, meaning that the only movies to get released there are usually blockbusters and big-name deals. However, the 2D version James Cameron’s Avatar, the highest grossing film in the world, was deliberately pulled from theaters after two weeks because officials feared that the forced removal of the Na’vi would cause political unrest among the Chinese locals who face eviction from their own homes. In addition, they were concerned that Avatar was making too much money and “seized market share from domestic films.” Inexplicably, 3D, Imax, and DVD versions of the film were still allowed.

Head on over to Flavorwire to see the full list.