Major cinema chains in South Africa have withdrawn a documentary about U.S. First Lady Melania Trump just days before its scheduled release, citing concerns over the country’s “current climate.”
The documentary, titled Melania, was noticeably absent from listings at Nu Metro and Ster Kinekor cinemas on Thursday, January 29, only a day before its planned international release on January 30. Local reports revealed that the South African distributor, Filmfinity, had abruptly pulled the film.
Speaking on the development, Filmfinity’s head of marketing, Thobashan Govindarajulu, confirmed that the decision was influenced by the prevailing climate in the country, though no further explanation was given. Efforts to get additional clarification from the distributor were unsuccessful.
Nu Metro later confirmed that the withdrawal was made at the request of Filmfinity, noting that the distributor holds the rights to the documentary and ultimately made the call to halt its release.
The move comes against the backdrop of strained diplomatic relations between South Africa and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Tensions have recently escalated following Trump’s repeated and widely disputed claims that the South African government is carrying out a “genocide” against the white Afrikaans community—allegations that authorities in Pretoria have firmly denied.
