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In August 2025, a free outdoor screening of the popular 2023 Barbie movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, was canceled in Noisy-le-Sec, a suburb of Paris, France.

The cancellation came after a group of young Islamic men issued threats, claiming the film promotes homosexuality and disrespects women.

This incident has sparked a heated debate in France about freedom of expression, cultural events, and religious fundamentalism.

Why Was the Barbie Screening Canceled?

The Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, was scheduled to be shown on a large outdoor screen on August 8, 2025, as part of Noisy-le-Sec’s summer festival, Les Estivales de Noisy.

The event was free and open to all, chosen through a public vote where Barbie received 33 out of 214 votes.

However, a group of about 10 to 15 young men confronted city staff, threatening to destroy equipment and stop the screening. They argued the film “advocates homosexuality” and “undermines the integrity of women,” according to Mayor Olivier Sarrabeyrouse.

Fearing for the safety of staff and attendees, Mayor Sarrabeyrouse, a member of the French Communist Party, decided to cancel the event.

He later filed a criminal complaint against the group for threatening public officials.

The mayor described the incident as “moral censorship” driven by “obscurantism and fundamentalism” from an “extreme minority of thugs” who likely hadn’t even seen the movie.

Where and When Did This Happen?

The incident took place in Noisy-le-Sec, a diverse suburb in the Seine-Saint-Denis area, known for its large immigrant population.

The screening was set for the evening of August 8, 2025, but was canceled just before it began.

The mayor announced the cancellation publicly on August 11, and a press conference followed on August 14 to address the controversy.

The local Bobigny prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into the threats on August 14, focusing on “threats, violence, or acts of intimidation” against public officials.

Who Was Involved?

• Mayor Olivier Sarrabeyrouse: The communist mayor of Noisy-le-Sec who canceled the screening to protect staff and later condemned the threats while criticizing right-wing politicians for exploiting the situation.
• The Protesters: A small group of 10 to 15 young men, some identified as Muslim youths, who threatened to disrupt the event. Their exact identities remain unknown, and some later claimed to AFP that their objections were not religious but about the film’s “inappropriate” content for children.
• Rachida Dati, France’s Culture Minister and a Muslim, condemned the cancellation as a “serious attack” on cultural access for families and referred the matter to prosecutors.
• Bruno Retailleau, Interior Minister and leader of the conservative Republicans, warned of “below-the-radar Islamism” aiming to impose sharia law, calling any retreat from such threats “unacceptable.”
• Yoann Gillet, an MP from Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, called the cancellation a “serious mistake” and accused the mayor of “submitting to an Islamist ideology.”
• Aurore Bergé, Gender Equality Minister, described the incident as evidence of hardline groups trying to control social behavior in immigrant-heavy areas.

What’s the Background of the Barbie Movie?

The Barbie movie, released in 2023, is a PG-rated comedy that grossed over £1 billion worldwide, becoming Warner Bros.’ highest-grossing film.

It follows Barbie’s journey of self-discovery in the real world, with feminist themes and minimal LGBTQ+ content, despite featuring LGBTQ+ actors like Hari Nef and Kate McKinnon.

The film has faced bans in countries like Kuwait, Algeria, Lebanon, and Vietnam for allegedly offending public morals, though it has no explicitly homosexual characters or scenes.

What Do Critics of the Protests Say?

Critics of the protests, including French politicians and cultural figures, have strongly condemned the threats and the cancellation:

• Rachida Dati called the incident a “new form of delinquency” that deprives families of cultural opportunities, emphasizing the need to protect public events.
• Bruno Retailleau argued that giving in to such threats encourages “Islamist” efforts to control French society, urging a firm stance against “community demands.”
• Yoann Gillet criticized the mayor for yielding to pressure, framing it as a surrender to “Islamist ideology.”
• LGBTQ+ Advocacy Groups, such as Inter-LGBT, expressed concern that the cancellation sets a dangerous precedent, limiting the ability of LGBTQ+ people and allies to participate in public life without fear. They see it as part of a broader pattern of targeting cultural events to suppress diversity and inclusion.

However, Mayor Sarrabeyrouse also faced backlash for the cancellation. He condemned the “racist and Islamophobic” reactions that flooded the city’s social media, accusing right-wing and far-right groups of exploiting the incident to fuel anti-Muslim sentiment.

He called their response “totally disproportionate” and a “dirty political manoeuvre” to stigmatize Noisy-le-Sec’s diverse community.

Left-wing critics, including supporters of Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s Unbowed France party, echoed this, accusing the government of pandering to Islamophobia to appeal to far-right voters.

Additional Important Information

• Rescheduling Plans: Mayor Sarrabeyrouse announced plans to reschedule the Barbie screening soon, responding to residents’ requests and reaffirming the town’s commitment to cultural openness.
• Broader Context: This incident follows other high-profile cases in France involving freedom of expression, such as the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack, where 12 people were killed over “blasphemous” cartoons. While less violent, the Barbie cancellation highlights ongoing tensions around cultural events and religious sensitivities.
• Political Divide: The incident has deepened France’s political fault lines.
  • Right-wing figures like Gillet and Retailleau frame it as a sign of growing “Islamist” influence, while left-wing groups accuse them of inflaming Islamophobia.

Why This Matters

The ongoing investigation and plans to reschedule the screening show that Noisy-le-Sec is determined to stand against intimidation, but the controversy underscores the challenges of navigating cultural and religious differences in public spaces.