The New Arab Voice Is Disney's Mulan remake complicit in China's erasure of minority identities?
Sep 11, 2020
18:24
Disney's "Mulan" remake is facing fresh boycott calls after it emerged some of the blockbuster's scenes were filmed in China's Xinjiang, where widespread rights abuses against the region's Uighur Muslim population have been widely documented.
The latest furore exploded as soon as the end credits rolled after the movie began showing on the Disney+ streaming platform last week.
Viewers spotted that Disney included "special thanks" to eight government entities in Xinjiang -- including the public security bureau in Turpan, a city in eastern Xinjiang where multiple internment camps have been documented.
In this episode of our podcast, we examine how the live-action remake not only sidestepped human rights abuses in Xinjiang and cast a lead who later expressed support for Hong Kong's police, but also remolds the legend of Hua Mulan to suit the propaganda and historical narratives of the Chinese Communist Party.
Featuring comments from Uighur activist Rahima Mahmut and Hong Kong-born writer Janet Ng.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more.
(Produced by Gaia Caramazza and Danya Hajjaji. Music by Omar al-Fil @elepheel. To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TheNewArabVoice or email multimedia.english@alaraby.co.uk)
The latest furore exploded as soon as the end credits rolled after the movie began showing on the Disney+ streaming platform last week.
Viewers spotted that Disney included "special thanks" to eight government entities in Xinjiang -- including the public security bureau in Turpan, a city in eastern Xinjiang where multiple internment camps have been documented.
In this episode of our podcast, we examine how the live-action remake not only sidestepped human rights abuses in Xinjiang and cast a lead who later expressed support for Hong Kong's police, but also remolds the legend of Hua Mulan to suit the propaganda and historical narratives of the Chinese Communist Party.
Featuring comments from Uighur activist Rahima Mahmut and Hong Kong-born writer Janet Ng.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more.
(Produced by Gaia Caramazza and Danya Hajjaji. Music by Omar al-Fil @elepheel. To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TheNewArabVoice or email multimedia.english@alaraby.co.uk)
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