Disney’s “Mulan” remake debuted and faced a backlash from people over the film’s shooting location in China alleged to detain Muslims.
Disney’s live-action adaptation of the classic animated film “Mulan” just debuted on Disney+. But it seemed the $200-million film gained more backlash than praise. “Boycott Mulan” even trended on Twitter. It comes as the movie credits revealed part of the filming happened in Xinjiang, a place that detained Uighur Muslims.
Why ‘Boycott Mulan’ Trends
The latest offering from the entertainment giant debuted on its streaming platform instead of the traditional theaters. We have the pandemic to thank for that. With that, the viewers found that the filmmakers acknowledged the help of several Chinese groups, including Xinjiang and Turpan authorities. The filmmakers chose Xinjiang to shoot certain parts of the film.
Asian democracy activists are calling for a boycott of the newly released Walt Disney film Mulan because it was made with the help of Chinese state organisations accused of oppressing Muslims in the Xinjiang region https://t.co/A3SChc6elU
— The Times (@thetimes) September 8, 2020
According to the New York Times, Xinjiang is home to mainly Muslim people. Lots of rights organizations and various governments from across the world condemn the detainment of Uighur Muslims in mass internment camps.
Criticisms on the Film
Consequently, a lot of netizens expressed their dismay over the film’s choice of location.
Author Jeanette Ng tweeted: “Mulan specifically thanked the publicity department of CPC Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region committee in the credits. You know, the place where cultural genocide is happening.” She further said her aim was not to police people in the movies they watch but to encourage the audience to act.
Meanwhile, known pro-democracy of Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong likewise tweeted the same sentiment. He wrote: “I urge everyone who believes in human rights to #BoycottMulan.”
Controversial Film
Disney will launch the movie in China in just a few days after the Disney+ debut. Likewise, the studio giant plans to release “Mulan” through traditional theaters in various markets that don’t have Disney+.
In addition to the filming location, the live-action “Mulan,” or at least the lead actress, had previously faced backlash. It comes as the actress playing the titular character, Liu Yifei, sided with Hong Kong police. That time, many scrutinized how the region’s police approach demonstrators in the city.
The movie borrows most of its plot from the 1997 animated classic of the same title. Except for this time, the Mouse of House opted to drop the song sequences. The live-action “Mulan,” like the animated musical, tells of a story of a Chinese heroine, the title character. Mulan pretends to be a man as she joined the army to take the place of her sick father.