‘Cuties’ Director Maïmouna Doucouré on Receiving Death Threats Over Netflix Poster Backlash

*French filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré is speaking out about the controversy Netflix created over its disastrous U.S. poster for her film “Cuties.”

We previously reported… Netflix apologized last month after its marketing of the film was met with backlash online after many noted that the poster sexualizes children (see above).

The critically-acclaimed pic, which won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award at Sundance this year, follows Amy, an 11-year-old girl who joins a group of dancers named “The Cuties” at school and soon becomes aware of her burgeoning femininity — upsetting her mother and her values.

Netflix recently began promoting the September 9 release, with many on Twitter calling it “disgusting.”

READ MORE: ‘Cuties’: The Film That Has Netflix Apologizing for its Poster ‘Sexualizing Children’ (Trailer)

 

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#Repost @sonadiesan …… Il y a des films qu’on aime, des films qu’on adore, des coups de coeur et des films qui marquent à VIE. ce genre de film où tu ne ressors pas indemne, ce genre de film où tu te dis “Je continuerai à faire du cinéma”, ce genre de film où tu te dis “mais quel diamant brut”. Ce film est “Mignonnes” de Maïmouna Doucouré produit par Bien ou Bien production. UN des plus GRANDS films FEMINISTE et AVANT GARDISTE que j’ai pu voir. Etant d’origine asiatique et de nationalité française, ce film m’a ramené à mon adolescence, ce conflit intérieur de cette double culture, comme si on devait faire le choix entre se cacher et ou se surexposer alors qu’on commence tout juste à découvrir notre nouveau corps. Maïmouna ne condamne ni l’une , ni l’autre, ne condamne pas non plus les hommes, ni les femmes, personne. Bien au contraire, elle expose avec finesse et subtilité toute la complexité de cette adolescente qui se cherche dans son environnement. ce film est tellement en avance par rapport à notre époque que je me demande comment il sera reçu. Quoi qu’il en soit, ce film est une belle révolution qui fait avancer les idées reçus, fait tomber les tabous, et avec poésie fait avancer le Monde. Concernant le jeu d’acteurs, rien n’est laissé au hasard. Tous les personnages et notamment les 4 actrices sont tout simplement formidables, justes, et criant de vérité. La réalisation est d’une telle mélodie de plan harmonieux, colorés, sensibles… Nos yeux en récoltent des milliers d’étoiles voir des confettis si on doit rester dans la métaphore du film. Puis la mise en scène de la robe… quel GENIE ! Puis de la représentation de danse à la fin du film… UN TORRENT DE LARMES… UNE Jouissance… La dernière réplique de la mère, un cri de bonheur. Quelle REPLIQUE DE FEMME FORTE ! Quand Amy se rend au mariage… Un souffle… Je vous en dirai pas plus de peur de spoiler… Donc allez le voir, je serai heureuse d’en discuter avec vous. Moi en tous les cas, j y retourne avec ma famille!!! Comme je leur ai dit : “c’est un devoir d’être humain de voir ce film. “Alors venez achetez vos pop corn, posez vos fesses et OUVREZ VOS YEUX pour voir ce CHEF D’ŒUVRE.

A post shared by Maimouna Doucouré (@maimounadoucoure) on Aug 31, 2020 at 10:17am PDT

Netflix took down the offending artwork and said in a statement: “We’re deeply sorry for the inappropriate artwork that we used for Cuties. It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which premiered at Sundance. We’ve now updated the pictures and description.”

But the damage was already done. Doucouré says she received death threats over the poster.

“I received numerous attacks on my character from people who had not seen the film, who thought I was actually making a film that was apologetic about hypersexualization of children,” she told Deadline. “I also received numerous death threats.”

Doucouré explained that she hadn’t seen the poster before Netflix debuted it online.

“Things happened fairly quickly because, after the delays [due to the pandemic], I was completely concentrating on the film’s release in France. I discovered the poster as the same time as the American public,” she told Deadline. “My reaction? It was a strange experience. I hadn’t seen the poster until after I started getting all these reactions on social media, direct messages from people, attacks on me. I didn’t understand what was going on. That was when I went and saw what the poster looked like.”

Doucouré added that Netflix’s original artwork was “not representative of the film and especially its message.” She also explained that the streaming giant apologized to her.

“We had several discussions back and forth after this happened. Netflix apologized publicly, and also personally to me,” she said.

Watch the trailer for “Cuties” below.

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