70th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day Vietnam - Asia 2023 Smart City Summit Hanoi celebrates 15 years of administrative boundary adjustment 12th Vietnam-France decentrialized cooperation conference 31st Sea Games - Vietnam 2021 Covid-19 Pandemic
Home / Defend the sovereignty
Dreamworks film containing illegal nine-dash line withdrawn from Vietnam movie theaters
Linh Pham 16:30, 2019/10/14
The fiction movie is produced by US Dreamworks Animation and China-invested Pearl Studio.
“Abominable” – a fiction movie debuted in theaters in Vietnam in October 4 – has been withdrawn from cinemas nationwide due to containing China’s groundless nine-dash line which covers Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagoes.

A scene from the movie
A scene that contains the U-shape line. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The movie was found to have scene showing the line or U-shape line which is Beijing’s self-claimed area that encircles up to 90% of the South China Sea. 

CJ CGV Vietnam Co., Ltd – a subsidiary of South Korea’s CGV Group – silently withdrew the movie after a number of audience recognized the scene. 

The case has sparked criticism among Vietnamese people who accused the Cinematography Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports of Tourism for its main responsibility for issuing permission for the movie. 


Prof. Vu Minh Giang, deputy head of Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences (VAHS), said overlooking a scene that harms the national sovereignty is definitely serious and relevant individuals and organizations should be strictly punished for their irresponsibility.
 
“Abominable” – a joint work by US Dreamworks Animation and China-invested Pearl Studio. Photo: Dreamworks
“Abominable” – a joint work by US Dreamworks Animation and China-invested Pearl Studio. Photo: Dreamworks
Prof. Tran Ngoc Vuong said China is foxy in inserting their sovereignty claim in cultural products and Vietnam must be vigilant enough to realize their intention, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. 

Related individuals must be strictly punished as this is a national sovereignty issue, writer Trinh Thanh Nha suggested. 
Researcher Hoang Viet from the Vietnam Lawyers Association suggested that this is a serious issue that should be in vigilance of authorized agencies and those in charge of cultural management must keep an eye on it. 

Meanwhile, a large number of locals criticized CJ CGV Vietnam for showcasing the movie to the public as this is the second time the company released a movie harming Vietnam’s sovereignty and disseminating Chinese illegal sovereignty claim. 

Vietnamese netizens have called for a heavy fine and an apology from CJ CGV Vietnam. 

“Abominable” – a joint work by US Dreamworks Animation and China-invested Pearl Studio – has come in theaters globally since September 27, 2019. 
Other news
07:36, 2023/10/27
“Grey zone” activities cast a shadow over cooperation and peaceful prospects in East Sea
Grey zone activities augment the risk of confrontation, destabilize the governance of regional laws and orders, and undermine international laws.
22:51, 2023/09/21
Vietnam becomes one of first nations to sign High Seas Treaty
Signing the agreement signaled that Vietnam is an active and responsible member of the international community.
17:41, 2023/07/07
BlackPink concert threatened with cancellation over sovereignty issue
BlackPink's concert may be ruined after Vietnamese netizens found out that the organizer, iME Entertainment Group Asia, displays the nine-dash line on its website.
19:03, 2023/05/18
Vietnam opposes China’s violations in East Sea
Vietnam said it has the legal basis and evidence to prove its sovereignty over islands in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea).
17:53, 2023/05/04
Issuing items with former South Vietnamese flag inappropriate for Vietnam-Australia relations: MoFA
The issuance of items in Australia sporting the flag of the former South Vietnamese regime drew criticism from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
18:26, 2023/04/20
China’s fishing ban violates Vietnam’s sovereignty: Spokesman
Beijing’s unilateral fishing ban covers areas including Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracels).