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Fox 11 News (Southern California – Channel 11) was on scene to report on the protest against The Last Airbender held in front of the Arclight Theater.  Reporter Hal Eisner interviewed protest organizers and protesters present at the demonstration for a report that aired on the 10 o’clock news.

<i>Hollywood – Movie critics aren’t the only ones taking issue with M. Night Shyamalan’s new movie "The Last Airbender."

Protestors demonstrated outside the Arclight Cinerama Dome, saying the movie discriminates based on race.

They say the production of the "Airbender" film adaptation discriminated by selecting white lead actors to play characters widely acknowledged by the creators to be Asian or Inuit in the original animated series.

M. Night Shyamalan, meantime, has gone on record saying that the movie is the most ethnically diverse movie ever. </i>

To view Fox 11’s  complete video coverage of the protest, visit myFoxLA- Last Airbender Draws Race Protests

Racebending.com volunteer schweinsty transcribed the video below for Racebending.com readers who may be hearing impaired, learning English as a second language or otherwise could benefit from subtitles.

Last Airbender Draws Race Protests
Protesters say the casting was "whitewashed."

Reporter: Hal Eisner
By myFOXla.com Web Staff

Aired: July 1st, 2010 on the 10 o’clock news.

Carlos Amezcua: A new movie hailed by its director as ‘culturally diverse’ is being called racially insensitive by protesters. Tonight they’ve picketed in front of a theater showing The Last Airbender. Hal Eisner’s live in Hollywood with more on the protest. Hal.

Hal Eisner, standing across street from theater: Well, that’s right, Carlos, actually, M. Night Shyamalan, who made this movie, the Last Airbender, which is actually called Avatar: The Last Airbender, and this is a quote: “This is the most culturally diverse movie series of all time.”

But to dozens of protesters who were outside that theater just a couple of hours ago, the casting was a travesty.

Footage of protesters chanting “Boycott Airbender!”

Eisner: That’s the message from some of these fans of the animated T.V. show on Nickelodeon, who aren’t happy with the new movie version. The T.V. show – here’s some video from Nickelodeon’s web site – has mostly Asian and Inuit characters, Alaskan natives.

A clip of Aang and Katara talking plays in the background.

Protester (young woman): I’ve watched every single episode.

Eisner (to fan): Really?

Protester: Yes.

Protester Two (young girl): It’s, like, about people who can bend stuff.

Eisner: Four elements: Fire, water, earth, and air. But because of casting decisions by filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, these people are bent out of shape.

One of the organizing groups of this demonstration, racebending.com, points to the casting of the movie being opposite of the T.V. show.

Footage of racebending.com video: The initial four actors chosen were all white, until the actor playing the antagonist was replaced by Dev Patel.

Eisner: Dev Patel, from Slumdog Millionaire, was on Good Day L.A. On the controversy, he said this:

Clip of Patel: It’s quite nonsensical, to be honest, because it’s – well, for me, it’s the most diverse set I’ve ever been on, as an actor.

Eisner: But not to actor Tzi Ma.

Tzi Ma: All of the multicultural people were background actors. None of the leading roles, particularly the heroic roles, were Asian or Asian-American.

Eisner: Tzi Ma, who’s been in movies like Dante’s Peak, Rush Hour, Rush Hour 3, tried out for Airbender, didn’t get a role.

Eisner (to Tzi Ma): You’re not upset because you didn’t get the role?

Tzi Ma: Oh, please. No, not at all.

Eisner: He’s upset because of what he and others here call a whitewash. They all hope The Last Airbender is the last film in this franchise.

Clip of fans chanting “Boycott, Boycott”

Eisner: Boycott, boycott. That’s what those protesters are calling for, but M. Night Shyamalan–who’s been criticizing those who have been criticizing him–hopes his movie and, actually, this series of movies are a big success. Reporting live from Hollywood, Hal Eisner, Fox 11 news.