Cinemas in South Africa will not be showing the documentary about US First Lady Melania Trump that is due to be released around the world on Friday.
The South African distributor Filmfinity has decided not to release it, its head of sales and marketing told the New York Times and South Africa-based website News24. The company was not explicit about the reasons behind the move.
The film, titled Melania, is not promoted on the websites of the country's main cinema chains. One Cape Town independent cinema contacted by the BBC stated that it was called by Filmfinity and instructed not to list it.
Relations between the US and South Africa have seriously deteriorated over the past year.
Amazon has reportedly paid $35 million (£25 million) to market the film, which follows Melania Trump in the 20 days leading up to her husband's second inauguration on January 20 last year. It is also believed that Amazon paid around $40 million for the rights to the film.
Filmfinity's Thobashan Govindarajulu commented, 'Based on recent developments, we've taken the decision to not go ahead with a theatrical release in territory.' He did not elaborate on what was meant by 'recent developments' or 'current climate.'
The absence of the documentary from South African cinemas may reflect the increasingly tense relations between the U.S. and South Africa, exacerbated by various political disputes.
