Page 61 - Issue-24-fr

Z E I N A M A R E I
A U T E U R

M U L A N C O N T R O V E R S Y

Mulan - one of everyone ’s favorite Disney movies -
Disney hoped that Mulan would be a
has recently been turned into a live-action and
major success for their company at the
Disney ’s fans couldn ’t help but fangirl about it
lucrative Chinese box office, yet the
expecting the remake to turn heads, which
movie has already faced controversy and
undeniably happened, yet not in Disney ’s favor.
Mulan, the live-action remake has become a
setbacks. The movie ’ s release renewed the
political flashpoint, whereas producers were bashed,
controversy surrounding it, and pro-
and online uproars escalated with the hashtag
democracy activists in Hong Kong,
#BoycottMulan trending on multiple platforms.
Thailand and Taiwan have once again
called on people to boycott the film
Controversy first rose about the movie in 2019
when lead character Liu Yifei allegedly supported
because of Liu's remarks last year. Critics
Hong Kong ’s police brutality against pro-
are also questioning the movie ’s ability on
democracy protesters. Liu wrote in a tweet online:
winning over Chinese audience, claiming
"I support the Hong Kong police. You can all attack
the movie used Japanese “ ninja gestures ”
me now. What a shame for Hong Kong ”. The reveal
was a lot to take in, especially with the unrest taking and Chinese stereotypes. In fact, a few
place in Hong Kong at the time, sparking the
critics stated that this might be one of
hashtag #BoycottMulan on social media.
Disney ’ s very rare losses, making a very
low profit compared to its 200 million
The rallying cries were then renewed after viewers
USD budget.
noticed Disney ’s acknowledgment of several
Chinese government bodies in Xinjiang (a Western
province) in the film ’s credits. Parts of the movie
The company got backlashed from
were shot in a province known to hold from one to
audience all around the world, stating
two million Uighur Muslims into concentration
that Disney not only ignores public
camps. Internment camps as such have been
implemented by the Chinese government since 2014,
opinion on discrimination, but supports
brainwashing people into thinking these camps are
it too. Disney ’s live-action remakes have
for education and training, but are they? The
greatly succeeded, having millions of
justification used for these internment camps is to
viewers over the years, yet this might
create an alibi to disguise the torture, rape, and
not just be it. Mulan might be Disney ’ s
indoctrination victims face. Internment camps are
methods of preventing Uighur Muslims from
one exception; there's a chance that it
practicing their religious activities. The
could very well be cancelled before it
discrimination faced by Uighur Muslims has been
even really begins, but who ’ s to blame
overlooked for six years before regaining attention
but the producers?
in 2020, thus the mentioned controversy has
definitely backfired on Disney.

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