South African Cinemas Pull Melania Trump Documentary Ahead of Release

South Africa’s major cinema chains withdrew the documentary Melania just days before its scheduled international release on January 30. The documentary focuses on the US First Lady, Melania Trump.

The South African distributor, Filmfinity, cited “the current climate” as the reason for pulling the documentary. Nu Metro confirmed it had received instructions from Filmfinity to withdraw the film, saying that the rights remain with the distributor.

President Donald Trump publicly criticised South Africa on various domestic and international issues, including unfounded claims about a “genocide” of the white Afrikaans community. He established a specific U.S. refugee program for white Afrikaners for settlement in the United States.

The film follows Melania during the weeks leading up to her husband’s second inauguration. It has also drawn criticism because of its director, Brett Ratner. In 2017, during the height of the #MeToo movement, Ratner was accused of sexual misconduct. This is his first Hollywood film since then.

By Melody Chironda