Why is Star Wars actor Harrison Ford banned in China? An insight into the 1995 incident

Actor Harrison Ford was banned by China after he had testified at the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee in support of an independent Tibet in 1995. The star is also an environmental activist and an advocate for human rights. In 1992, Harrison Ford got involved in Tibetan issues fighting for their independence and highlighted all of China’s human rights abuses. 

Why is Harrison Ford banned in China?

In 1997, noted filmmaker Martin Scorsese was trending in media headlines for making a controversial film, Kundun. It was his attempt to chronicle the early life of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama. The film followed the story of the People's Liberation Army's entering Tibet and the Dalai Lama's subsequent exile to India.

Harrison Ford's wife Melissa Matheson worked with filmmaker Martin Scorsese on the script for the film Kundun. Hence, Harrison Ford had got the opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama and become an advocate for Tibet. Scorsese was banned from China after the film's release. 

A peek into Harrison Ford's movies 

Harrison Ford ranks at number four on the list of highest-grossing domestic box office stars of all time. He has been an Academy Award nominee and a four-time Golden Globe nominee. Harrison has won three Saturn Awards and became the recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award and the Cecil B. DeMille Award. 

Ford made his acting debut in 1966 with Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round, followed by Luv and A Time for Killing released in 1967. He was last seen in the 2020's adventure film The Call of the Wild. Based on Jack London's 1903 novel of the same name, the film is helmed by Chris Sanders. Apart from Harrison Ford, the film also stars Dan Stevens, Omar Sy, Karen Gillan, Bradley Whitford and Colin Woodell. 

The Call of the Wild is set in the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush and follows the story of a dog named Buck, who is stolen from his home in California and sent to the Yukon. In Yukon, the dog befriends an old outdoorsman and begins a life-altering adventure. The film was released in the United States on February 21, 2020. Receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film grossed $110 million at the box office. Harrison Ford's performance in the movie was praised. 

IMAGE: STILL FROM THE CALL OF THE WILD