Cinemas in South Africa will not be showing a documentary about US First Lady Melania Trump, which is set to be released worldwide soon. The South African distributor, Filmfinity, has opted not to release the film, a decision disclosed by its head of sales and marketing. However, specific reasons for this decision were not clarified.
The film, titled Melania, does not appear on the websites of the country's major cinema chains, and it has been reported that independent cinemas were instructed by Filmfinity not to list it. This is notable against the backdrop of increasingly strained relations between the United States and South Africa.
The deterioration in relations has been marked by issues such as President Donald Trump's comments regarding a supposed 'white genocide' against South African farmers and a number of contentious trade policies. As a result of these developments, Filmfinity declared it would not proceed with the theatrical release of the documentary.
The documentary follows Melania Trump during the 20 days leading up to her husband's second inauguration. It has been backed by a significant marketing investment from Amazon, which paid $35 million for its promotion and reportedly around $40 million for the rights to the film.
