Daniel Craig’s Queer Banned in Turkey, Luca Guadagnino Issues Statement

Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film Queer has been banned in Turkey for being “too provocative,” a move that Guadagnino said was done by those who wish to tarnish the powers of cinema.

Guadagnino spoke about the move while at the jury press conference for the Marrakech Film Festival (via Variety). The director spoke about how the movie was said to be creating “social disorder,” and praised the film for its power to shatter household values.

What did Luca Guadagnino say about Queer’s ban?

“They banned the movie because they said the movie was creating social disorder,” Guadagnino said. “I wonder if they’ve seen the movie or if they are just judging it by the outline or let’s say the facetious stupidity of some journalism focusing on James Bond going gay.”

Guadagnino went on to praise the movie for being an “object that shatters our house of values in a way that is so powerful,” and that he hopes the “form of the movie brings the possibility of societal collapse.”

The director also went on to be frank about his hopes for the movie in the country, noting that people can download and “find things” on their own if they so choose.

“You can download the movie. I mean, if someone in Turkey downloads the movie, I’m happy,” said Luca.

Based on the 1985 novella of the same name by William S. Burroughs, the screenplay for Queer was written by Justin Kuritzkes. The cast of the movie includes Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Lesley Manville, Jason Schwartzman, Henry Zaga, and Omar Apollo. The film will have a nationwide release beginning on December 13, 2024.

“1950. William Lee, an American expat in Mexico City, spends his days almost entirely alone, except for a few contacts with other members of the small American community. His encounter with Eugene Allerton, an expat former soldier, new to the city, shows him, for the first time, that it might be finally possible to establish an intimate connection with somebody,” the synopsis for the movie reads.

Queer will be Guadagnino’s second film released in 2024 following Challengers, which hit United States theaters in April and stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist. Guadagnino’s filmography also includes 2015’s A Bigger Splash, 2017’s Call Me by Your Name, 2018’s Suspiria, and 2022’s Bones and All, among other titles.

(Source: Variety)

Source: Comingsoon.net