Thai officials have cancelled a screening of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis after complaints from the Iranian Embassy:
The Bangkok International Film Festival has dropped the Cannes prize-winning animated movie “Persepolis” which had been skedded as new-look Thai fest’s opening movie. Tuesday move followed a request from the Iranian Embassy in Bangkok.
“We have had a request from the ambassador to reconsider the screening of ‘Persepolis,’ and since this could be a matter of international relations, we decided not to show the film,” Chattan Kunjara Na Ayutthaya of Tourism Authority of Thailand, said.
“It is a good movie in artistic terms, but we have to consider other issues that might arise here.”
“Persepolis” was originally slated to be the fest’s opening film on July 19. With the cancellation, the festival still has no opening film with only three weeks left.
Conservative Islamic people scare me. They have absolutely no tolerance for any opinions other than their own. Thailand is becoming a scarier place every day….
too bad this wonderful film was dropped from the Festival – kowtowing to Muslim pressure is not the solution.
Ulla Schneider