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[johnslat]

Bad news, guys and gals. The sequel to "Sex and the CIty," may not be shown in Abu Dhabi, even though it's supposedly (but not really) the setting for much of the film.
There's some speculation below about why this might happen, but I think it's pretty obvious: Although the first one was quite a conventional bomb; S&C 2 shows signs of going nuclear.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Troubled relationships are nothing new for "Sex and the City" story lines. But this one takes it to a different level: a possible snub from the Gulf city that plays the exotic backdrop for the movie sequel.

Less than two weeks before the release of "Sex and the City 2," it's unclear whether the film will be shown in oil-rich Abu Dhabi � the scripted setting where Carrie and her chic New York posse swap their Jimmy Choos for sandals and kick some sand at Middle Eastern traditions.

It's already been a rocky rapport. Emirates' officials turned down a request to film on location, forcing the crew to head to Morocco and recreate the Abu Dhabi setting. In 2008, the original "Sex and the City" film was not shown in the United Arab Emirates, where censors routinely remove scenes such as kissing, nudity and expletives from movies and television shows.

And Shooting Stars, the UAE representatives for distributor Warner Bros., said Emirates officials have still not made a decision about bringing the film to cinemas in the Gulf state after its May 27 release date.

The National Media Council, responsible for oversight of films and other media in the UAE, declined to comment.

The film exposes some of the complexities for Gulf cities trying to compete on the international stage. Abu Dhabi has aggressively marketed itself as an emerging hub for film studios and production companies. But there's a high sensitivity about plots perceived as too racy or politically charged about regional affairs.

The UAE's refusal to participate in the film reflects a desire to "control their brand," said Leila Hudson, graduate director of Near Eastern studies at the University of Arizona.

"To the Emiratis, that 'city' in the (movie) title sounds like it's referring � logically enough � to their Abu Dhabi rather than New York. That's a little too in your face," Hudson said.

Candace Bushnell's novel "Sex and the City" that formed the basis for the movies can be found prominently displayed among best-sellers in Dubai bookstores, however.

The trailer for the movie invites fans of the fashionable four to "discover how much fun forbidden can be," but scenes depicting Abu Dhabi and the Arabian desert are actually 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) away in North Africa.

In real life, Abu Dhabi plays the role of more conservative patriarch compared with its flashier neighbor Dubai � and has increasingly sets the tone for the rest of the country in the slower economic times.

Abu Dhabi's oil wealth has kept development chugging along, including satellite galleries of the Guggenheim and Louvre museums. It also appears to have exerted more pressure on Dubai authorities to rein in the Western-style freedoms that can offend conservative Gulf values.

Last month, an appeals court upheld a one-month jail sentence to a couple convicted of breaking moral codes by sharing a passionate kiss in a Dubai restaurant.

A Dubai-based movie theater manager said the "Sex and the City" sequel is still on the "tentative" schedule. She holds out hope it will be cleared for local theaters.

"Sometimes distributors and local censor board make changes at the last minute," said Hyacinth Quijano, an assistant manager for Reel Cinemas in the Dubai Mall.

Regards,
John

[kiefer]

???

[teechar]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I think the film is pretty culturally insensitive. I have only seen the previews, but I was surprised at the concept especially before I knew it was filmed elsewhere.

I am all for freedom of speech and the like, but I think disregarding the customs of one's supposed host is out of order. Sex and the City and the Middle East don't mix (in public anyway).

My two cents.

[veiledsentiments]

I was actually shocked when the TV series arrived on sat TV there. You really can't get much more culturally inappropriate than this series. I didn't bother with the movie, but might watch this one... though I know it will just make me angry.

VS

[Sheikh N Bake]

I don't see the film as requiring ESL teachers' censorship if it wasn't even shot within 3000 miles of the country. And I certainly wouldn't judge it by its out-of-context and possibly misleading trailers.

Hollywood's only movie to ever have been filmed on location in Singapore was Peter Bogdanovich's wonderful 1978 character study Saint Jack, about an American brothel owner (Ben Gazzara) and his British pal (Denholm Elliot). The production used all local people, real people acting in the film, including tons of prostitutes. It's the only movie I've ever seen with genuine Singapore/KL accents or dialects if you will.

Naturally the Nanny State would never have allowed Bogdanovich to create the movie there if he hadn't piggy-backed on a production of "Hawaii Five-Oh" that was being shot at the same time, pretending certain scnees were part of the TV show, in addition to submitting a fake script to Nanny authorities.

I'm not impressed with cries and hues of cultural insensitivity of a movie shot thousands of miles away. Nobody is beholden to foreign sensitivities when writing a book or filming a movie not intended for that particular foreign audience. I've seen films from Japan, for example, set in the US that depicted all New Yorkers as crazed killers slamming their heads against walls when not murdering people. I know some of you would have loved that. But in the more established nations we don't feel threatened by hyperbolic satire, let alone a little accurate criticism.

[ardiles81]

First off - it's not exactly culture is it? Well, I don't think so... but if you want sex in the city there are tens of thousands of young ladies in Dubai, working girls, many of whom do not necessarily want to be there who the government are happy to turn a blind eye too.

All part of being a power packing business orientated country eh?

[bje]