Oscar-nominated ‘Call Me By Your Name’ has been banned in Tunisia
The acclaimed gay drama has earned four Oscar nominations
The Tunisian government has banned the Oscar-nominated Call Me By Your Name.
The acclaimed film, an adaptation of Andre Aciman’s 2007 novel of the same name, tells the story of the relationship between 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and graduate student Oliver (Armie Hammer) as a passionate romance blossoms in 1980s Italy.
The film was planned to be screened at a cinema in Tunis on Wednesday (February 28) but the Tunisian Ministry of Culture intervened, leading the venue to announce on Facebook that it had been “cancelled” because the film had been banned by the government.
According to Alaraby, the film’s distributor, Lassaad Goubantini, called the move an “attack on liberties” motivated by the “subject of the film”.
He told AFP: “We filed an application for authorisation with the ministry of culture. We even proposed a viewing in exceptional circumstances before the screening to know if it would go ahead or not, (but) we were refused a permit.”
He added that the ban is “contrary to the Tunisian constitution”.
It’s still illegal to be gay in Tunisia and men can face a lengthy prison sentence for homosexuality.
Meanwhile, Call Me By Your Name has earned four Oscar nominations including Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Original Song and Best Adapted Screenplay.