Melania Trump documentary canceled in South African cinemas

The film, due for worldwide release on Friday, will not be shown in the country because of “recent developments,” a local distributor has said

South African cinemas have canceled planned screenings of a documentary about US First Lady Melania Trump after the film’s local distributor cited unspecified concerns linked to the “current climate.” 

Filmfinity, which was handling the theatrical release in South Africa, said the decision was made internally “based on recent developments,” according to the New York Times, which cited Thobashan Govindarajulu, the company’s head of sales and marketing.

Govindarajulu also told South Africa’s News24 that the decision had been made “given the current climate.” He declined to elaborate further but said the company had not been pressured to pull the film at short notice. No South African government agency has announced a ban on the release.

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The documentary, called ‘Melania’, follows the first lady during the 20 days leading up to her husband US President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20 last year. It is backed by Amazon MGM Studios in a deal reported to be worth about $40 million and is scheduled for release in cinemas worldwide on Friday.

Nu Metro, one of South Africa’s major cinema chains, published a trailer for the film on its YouTube channel three weeks ago, and a dedicated page for ‘Melania’ remains on its website, though no show times are listed. A publicity page for the film on the website of Ster-Kinekor, another major cinema chain in the country, is currently inaccessible.

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The cancellation comes amid deteriorating diplomatic ties between Washington and Pretoria since Trump’s return to the White House. Relations have been strained over a range of issues, including US criticism of South Africa’s domestic policies and Pretoria’s foreign policy positions, including its alignment with BRICS partners.

The Trump administration has also repeatedly accused South Africa of failing to protect its white minority and of allowing what it has described as “genocide,” claims that South African officials have dismissed as false and misleading.