Cinemas in South Africa will not be showing the documentary about US First Lady Melania Trump that is due to be released around the world on Friday.
The South African distributor Filmfinity has decided not to release it, its head of sales and marketing told The New York Times and South Africa-based website News24. The company was not explicit about the reasons behind the move.
The film, titled 'Melania', is not promoted on the websites of the country's main cinema chains. One Cape Town independent cinema contacted by the BBC mentioned that Filmfinity instructed them not to list the film.
Relations between the US and South Africa have seriously deteriorated over the past year.
Amazon has reportedly invested $35 million to market the film, which chronicles Melania Trump during the 20 days leading up to her husband's second inauguration. Additionally, it is believed that Amazon paid around $40 million for the rights to the film.
Based on recent developments, we've taken the decision to not go ahead with a theatrical release in territory, Filmfinity's Thobashan Govindarajulu is quoted as saying.
He added, the decision was influenced by the current climate, although he did not elaborate on what he meant by that.
Efforts by the BBC to get further comments from Filmfinity, which claims to be the leading film distributor in southern Africa, went unanswered. However, confirmation from the independent Labia cinema revealed that they were advised by Filmfinity not to screen the documentary.
Show times for 'Melania' are absent from the schedules of major cinema chains like Ster Kinekor and Nu Metro. In fact, Ster Kinekor's publicity page for 'Melania' is inaccessible.
The tension between the US and South Africa stems from political controversies, including accusations by Donald Trump regarding a supposed white genocide in South Africa, which has further strained diplomatic relations.
