Comedy films that got in trouble overseas

Some jokes don’t travel well across borders. A comedy that makes one country laugh might make another angry enough to ban it outright. A classic example is Life of Brian, nearly half a century old yet still risky to screen in Germany under certain rules because its jokes push religious buttons. Even colors can cause problems—just ask filmmakers who learned the hard way that the wrong shade in a movie can trigger a ban. Political leaders sometimes react strongly when their nation or its people are mocked on screen. Borat landed on the banned list in Kazakhstan because officials felt the character’s portrayal mocked their country. Russia joined in, citing scenes that could insult certain ethnic groups and religions. By the end of 2006, almost every Arab nation had also blocked the film, leaving Lebanon as the only exception.Spy comedies can also run into trouble. Zoolander, a 2001 film where a model is tricked into trying to kill a prime minister, was labeled “absolutely unsuitable” in Malaysia. Officials worried the plot might offend efforts to fight terrorism. Neighboring Singapore followed suit the next year without explaining why, though the island nation has a history of banning films with strong references to sex or drugs. Even family-friendly animated movies aren’t safe. The Simpsons Movie faced restrictions, but not for the scene where Bart skateboards bare. Instead, authorities focused on broader concerns about how cartoon characters were portrayed. What one country sees as harmless humor, another may see as a reason to pull the plug entirely.