Another scandal in Kazakhstan: Minister of Culture and Sports Dauren Abayev has banned the new American computer-animated science fiction film Buzz Lightyear, created by Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures, from distribution.
The reason was a one-and-a-half-second kiss scene between two women.
Here it should be noted that one of the first against “Buzz Lightyear” was the Kazakhstani film actor, director, and TV presenter Nurtas Adambay, who became famous primarily for the fact that he first shot the series, and then three feature films “Kelinka Sabina”, where he himself played the main role in The role of a travesty: that is, a man disguised and playing a woman. However, then Adambay fell into religion and began to teach Kazakhstanis how to live correctly.
“They spread their propaganda among our children through their films and cartoons. Note that all these pictures are designed primarily for the children’s audience. The Eternals (Marvel), Doctor Strange, Buzz Lightyear, Spider-Man. And this is just the beginning! Disney has already officially announced that half of their characters will be four-letter characters. We need to stop this indecent propaganda. They can do what they want, but we don’t need to pump it into the heads of our children. Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich, we hope that you will not turn a blind eye to this,” Adambay wrote an open appeal to President Tokayev on his Facebook page on July 2.
Meanwhile, an online petition appeared on the Internet to ban the cartoon in Kazakhstan. To date, she has collected more than 34,000 signatures in support. The petition was created on June 26, but the Minister of Culture and Sports Dauren Abaev reacted to the situation only after the post of Nurtas Adambay.
“In response to numerous requests from citizens and the media, I inform you that the Buzz Lightyear animated film will not be distributed in Kazakhstan,” he said.
After outraged parents, lawyers, activists, and public figures raised a fuss that the ministry was not doing what it should, Dauren Abaev hastened to justify himself, but further spoiled his already not very high reputation: “Censorship is prohibited in our country. Therefore, the ministry did not prohibit the screening of the animated film “Buzz Lightyear” in Kazakhstan. I said that the distribution of this picture in the country will not be carried out. Further, the media and a number of bloggers themselves drew their own conclusions,” Abaev said.
Further, he noted that not only Adambay but also over 35,000 citizens who signed the petition opposed the cartoon.
“At once in several regions, applications for rallies were submitted. The Ministry received numerous appeals from citizens. Not taking into account these sentiments means ignoring the voices of ordinary citizens of our country. An analysis of the appeals shows that citizens are outraged not so much by the kissing of a same-sex couple (…), but by the very fact of the presence in the film of the plot of same-sex love, held together by family ties and offspring, as a life norm. We, as a ministry, do not give an ethical assessment to such storylines, if they do not contradict the laws, but we cannot ignore public opinion either,” the Minister of Culture stressed.
He also noted that there was no ban on distribution from the ministry, but there were recommendations: “Film rental is a business. And business always takes risks into account, including consequences that are difficult to predict. In the aggregate of all the above factors, it was decided not to release the film,” he concluded.
However, the Kazakhs were not convinced by his arguments. In the comments, people openly wrote that the distributors were simply forced to refuse to rent and that censorship in Kazakhstan not only exists but also flourishes.
Users also recalled other petitions that received much more votes – for example, about the return of the name of the capital of Kazakhstan “Astana” (instead of Nur-Sultan in honor of Nursultan Nazarbayev). However, for some reason, none of the authorities wanted to listen to the opinions of ordinary citizens, but simply ignored them.
Meanwhile, another petition has now been launched – demanding to allow the distribution of the Buzz Lightyear cartoon and dismiss Minister Abaev. The petition has already collected more than 11,000 signatures in its favor.
