World News
Cambodia Bans Latest ‘Kingsman’ Film Due to ‘Negative Portrayal’ of Country
The movie was not filmed in Cambodia but the drug lord’s temple resembled the well-known Ta Prohm.
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PHNOM PENH – Hollywood’s light-heated spy blockbuster Kingsman: the Golden Circle has been banned in Cambodia apparently due to a scene that portrays the country and one of its famous temples as a hotbed of crime.
The Director of Cambodian culture ministry’s film department, Bok Borak, said the “unacceptable” movie had been banned from cinemas for “using the name Cambodia as a hideout for criminals”.
He said the movie was not filmed in Cambodia but the drug lord’s temple resembled the well-known Ta Prohm – a site in the Angkor complex that is tangled in tree roots and which was used as a set for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
“Our temple is a world heritage site that we must protect and it is not a place for such things,” Bok Borak said, adding that a letter would be sent to the film’s producers “to show our frustration”.
Westec Media, which purchased the local distribution rights for the film, could not be reached immediately for comment.
It is not the first time Cambodia has outlawed entertainment it considers harmful to the country’s traditional values it has previously banned four other movies including Fifty Shades of Grey and The Wolf of Wall Street, citing similar concerns.
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