Thursday, March 28, 2024

Netflix Responds to Indictment Over ‘Lewd’ French Film ‘Cuties’

*Netflix has been indicted on criminal charges over “Cuties,” the French coming-of-age film that conservatives have criticized for promoting the sexualization of children.

According to the Texas Tribune, a grand jury in Tyler, Texas, indicted the streaming giant over the content that allegedly “depicts the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was younger than 18 years of age at the time the visual material was created, which appeals to the prurient interest in sex.”

Netflix responded to the indictment in a statement, saying: “Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. This charge is without merit and we stand by the film.”

The company previously adddressed the backlash after the hashtag #CancelNetflix began trending on social media before the title was released on the platform. Director Maïmouna Doucouré said she received death threats over the film.  In a recent interview, she noted that she intended to make a provocative social commentary about the impact of sexualized imagery on young girls.

READ MORE: ‘Cuties’ Director Maïmouna Doucouré Aims to ‘Sound Alarm’ on ‘Hyper-sexualization of Our Children’

Cuties

“Cuties” follows Amy (Fathia Youssouf), an 11-year-old girl from Senegal who joins a dance team as an escape from her and conservative Muslim family.

“Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children,” a Netflix spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement. “It’s an award-winning film and a powerful story about the pressure young girls face on social media and from society more generally growing up — and we’d encourage anyone who cares about these important issues to watch the movie.”

“Cuties” has been praised by film critics. It won the world cinema dramatic directing award at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Netflix issued a public apology to Doucouré following criticism over the U.S. marketing poster for the film, which shows the young stars scantily dressed and striking suggestive dance poses.

“We’re deeply sorry for the inappropriate artwork that we used for Mignonnes/Cuties. It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which won an award at Sundance,” Netflix tweeted on Aug. 20. “We’ve now updated the pictures and description.”

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