'Winnie the Pooh' film cancelled in Hong Kong. Reason? Xi Jinping | World News - Hindustan Times
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'Winnie the Pooh' film cancelled in Hong Kong. Reason? Xi Jinping

Mar 22, 2023 12:11 PM IST

Xi Jinping: The reason behind the stopping of the release can be China's president Xi Jinping as Beijing's censors have targeted the movie earlier as well.

The screening of “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” which was due to be released in Hong Kong this week was cancelled after cinemas declined to show it, Reuters reported quoting the movie's distributor VII Pillars Entertainment. Although the reason for the cancellation was not known, the movie was scheduled to open on March 23 in 32 cinemas, the distributor informed.

Chinese President Xi Jinping.(AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping.(AP)

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"We are pulling our hair of course, very disappointed. It's just unbelievable that cinemas cancel the exhibition after all arrangements were made," VII Pillars spokesperson said.

The reason behind the stopping of the release can be China's president Xi Jinping as Beijing's censors have targeted the movie earlier as well. The film's main character ‘Winnie the Pooh’ has often been seen in memes compariing him to Xi Jinping. The memes began in 2013 when the Chinese president visited the US to meet then president Barack Obama. Some have then used the image of the character of Pooh to signal dissent, riling up Beijing.

Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration (OFNAA) told Reuters, “The arrangements of cinemas in Hong Kong on the screening of individual films with certificates of approval in their premises are the commercial decisions of the cinemas concerned, and OFNAA would not comment on such arrangements.”

The film, according to the distributor is made on a tiny budget and "sold to nearly 200 territories in just 6 months. An astounding achievement within such a short period".

Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield said that "something mysterious" had happened as “the cinemas agreed to show it, then all independently come to the same decision overnight. It won't be a coincidence. They claim technical reasons, but there is no technical reason. The film has showed in over 4,000 cinema screens worldwide. These 30 screens in Hong Kong are the only ones with such issues."

China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 which followed a major crackdown on dissent after the city witnessed anti-government protests.

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