With DC’s highly anticipated superhero film "Wonder Woman" set to be released this Friday, buzz for the film has been building up for the last few weeks. Based on its reception during early screenings, "Wonder Woman" looks like it’ll be the first DC film universally praised by critics since the "Dark Knight Trilogy."
There’s no doubt that the movie will be a nice, refreshing change of pace featuring a woman in the lead role in an already oversaturated genre dominated by male leads. Gal Gadot, the lead actress, had already been featured in the critically-panned "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice," and has been confirmed to be in the upcoming "Justice League" film.
However, with all the talk being predominantly focused on the film's pro-feminist message, more controversy has cropped up recently concerning the release of the film. Lebanon’s ministry of economy is trying to keep the film from being released in Lebanon due to Gadot’s Israeli heritage.
Lebanon calls for ban of Wonder Woman 2017 movie, because its lead actress is an Israeli https://t.co/9qhK3hBP5a pic.twitter.com/zo3X9dt8Sy
— Al Jazeera News (@AJENews) May 30, 2017
Lebanese boycott
Lebanon has been officially at war with Israel for decades now, dating all the way back to the creation of Israel in 1948. Despite the two countries being in the middle of a ceasefire, tensions remain high with Israel making near-daily flights over Lebanese territory and Lebanon continuing to arm the Lebanese-based Shia Islamist militant group Hezbollah -- who have been fighting Israel since its formation in 1985.
Because of their ongoing war, Lebanon has enacted a law boycotting Israeli products as well as banning Lebanese citizens from traveling to Israel and preventing any form of communication with Israeli citizens. Gadot, who served with the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), has certainly made her support of Israel and its military operations no secret.
It's primarily for this reason that the Lebanese ministry of economy wants to keep the film from opening in their country.
More bark than bite?
Despite the Lebanese ministry of economy calling for the film's Ban, it has not yet been officially enforced, not to mention that one Lebanese cinema chain plans to premiere the movie regardless.
If the ban goes through, it would be the first of Gadot’s films to be banned in the country, as the "Fast and Furious" movies featured in, as well as the aforementioned "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" were not prevented from being screened.
The ban will only be enacted with the recommendation of a six-ministry-member committee. With the film’s opening quickly approaching, it’s debatable whether or not the ban will actually be put into action.
