In Türkiye, the broadcast of “Queer” with Daniel Craig banned during a festival, Mubi cancels the event

CINEMA – Luca Guadagnino's new film was to open the festival with great fanfare. After its popular presentation at the Venice Film Festival in early September, the film Queerin which actor Daniel Craig plays the main role, is more particularly well received in Türkiye.

As reported Variety this Thursday, November 7, the presentation of the new feature film by the director of Call Me By Your Name et Challengers to open the Mubi Fest in Istanbul has simply been cancelled. Consequence of the ban on screening the film, pronounced at the last minute by the local authorities. According to their arguments presented by the Kadıköy District Governorate of Istanbul, the film starring Daniel Craig presents a “ provocative content ».

« The decision states that the film is banned on the grounds that it contains provocative content likely to endanger public peace, with the ban imposed for security reasons », The organization of the film festival was told, as it reported in a press release, undoubtedly alluding to the LGBT+ themes of the film.

Last minute cancellation

The distributor Mubi, in charge of the festival, has therefore chosen to cancel the entire film-loving gathering planned in Istanbul from November 7 to 10. Mubi explained this by recalling that this act “ constitutes a direct restriction of art and freedom of expression “. Especially since the cancellation was announced “ a few hours before the opening of Mubi Fest Istanbul 2024 “. And this, while the planned festival “ meticulously for months (…) displayed full ».

« This ban does not only target a particular film, but also undermines the very essence and purpose of the festival », also commented Mubi to denounce this unexpected situation and justify the complete cancellation of its festival.

This highly anticipated new project from Italian director Luca Guadagnino is an adaptation of the eponymous novel by author William S. Burroughs. Whose story tells of Lee's life in Mexico in the 1940s. A homosexual American expatriate, the character played by Daniel Craig then meets Allerton, for whom he will quickly develop an obsessive desire. A desire which, however, will not be reciprocated. Despite this difference, the two men will set off together in search of a hallucinogenic plant which would confer telepathic gifts, as indicated in the synopsis.

Produced by A24, the film also features Drew Starkey (Outer Banks) in the role of Allerton, but does not yet have a release date in French theaters at the time of writing.

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