Mulan 2020, as mentioned in the previous article – fails to empower young girls and women alike to be just as, if not more capable than men. But with the rise of feminist protests, Mulan seemed to be the final push to encourage more women to join the fight. Disney failed to encourage and push Mulan to be what it could have been instead gave us a sloppy movie that downplayed the legend of Mulan. So, here’s another reason to boycott Mulan 2020.
In August 2019, Liu Yifei who played Mulan, posted on social media app Weibo an image with text written in Chinese supporting the Hong Kong police. Liu Yifei’s actions essentially condone the behaviour of police brutality. In the image she wrote, “I support Hong Kong’s police, you can beat me up now. What a shame for Hong Kong.” She also added the hashtag #IAlsoSupportTheHongKongPolice with a heart emoji.
Yifei’s post came during a time of escalating tensions between Hong Kong and mainland China. Police were responding to pro-democracy protesters with excessive force – similarly to the many BLM protests happening in America. Hong Kong police used tear gas, batons and rubber bullets (just to name a few) to ‘control’ the protestors.
In a 2020 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Yifei was asked about her comments. She responded with “I think it’s obviously a very complicated situation and I’m not an expert. I just really hope this gets resolved soon.” Later, she commented, “I think it’s just a very sensitive situation.”
As mentioned previously, Mulan 2020 was filmed in the province of the ‘re-education camps’ in China. This shows that not only does Disney not care for the lives of Muslims; but Disney does not wish to aid families suffering due to their beliefs.
Not only has Disney failed to empower young girls in Mulan 2020. They have also failed to address major issues in China and filmed parts of Mulan in the Xinjiang province. Disney even thanked the publicity department of CPC Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region committee in their closing credits. This simple act shows that Disney endorses the activity in Xinjiang.
Joshua Wong Chi-fung is a Hong Kong student activist and politician who has experienced these acts first-hand. Joshua states the following in a tweet:
Are you willing to turn a blind eye on police brutality and racial injustices? Or are you going to take a stand? Making a difference starts small, but if we can all speak out on the issues of police brutality in our own countries. We can begin to see changes happen across the world. It's our time to make a change; boycott Mulan 2020.
Disney filming in China’s Xinjiang province - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-54064654
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