KUWAIT: Kuwait has barred hit film "Barbie" from cinemas over concerns about "public ethics", officials have said, also confirming a separate ban on a horror movie featuring a transgender actor. "Barbie" and "Talk to Me" both "promulgate ideas and beliefs that are alien to the Kuwaiti society and public order", Lafy Al-Subeie, head of Kuwait's cinema censorship committee, told the official KUNA news agency.

While deciding on any foreign movie, the committee usually orders "censoring of the scenes that run counter to public ethics", Subeie was quoted as saying late on Wednesday. "But (if) a film carries alien concepts, message or unacceptable behavior, the committee decides to bar the stuff in question as a whole," he said.

Gulf Arab states including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia - all of which outlaw homosexuality - routinely censor films that contain alien concepts. Most recently, they banned the latest Spider-Man animation in June, reportedly over a scene that includes a transgender pride flag.

In Lebanon, Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada said on Wednesday he had asked authorities to ban "Barbie" for purportedly "promoting homosexuality". - AFP