Cinemas in South Africa will not be showing the documentary about US First Lady Melania Trump that is set to be released worldwide on Friday.
The South African distributor Filmfinity has decided against releasing the film, according to the company's head of sales and marketing. The specifics behind this decision have not been disclosed.
Currently, the film, titled 'Melania,' is not promoted on major cinema websites in South Africa. One independent cinema in Cape Town reported it had been instructed not to list the movie.
Relations between the United States and South Africa have significantly deteriorated over the past year, contributing to this cessation of the film's release in South Africa.
Amazon reportedly invested $35 million to market the film, which follows Melania Trump during the 20 days leading up to her husband’s inauguration last year. In addition, the rights to the film were purchased for approximately $40 million.
Filmfinity's Thobashan Govindarajulu mentioned the decision stemmed from 'recent developments' and the 'current climate,' although he did not elaborate further.
Attempts to contact Filmfinity for comments have been unsuccessful, and projections indicate the film will not appear in the South African listings of major cinema chains like Ster Kinekor and Nu Metro.
Since Donald Trump’s presidency began, ties between the US and South Africa have strained considerably, exacerbated by controversial claims made by Trump regarding the South African Afrikaner community.
