*Netflix co-CEO and CCO Ted Sarandos is defending the platform’s controversial French arthouse feature ‘Cuties;’ claiming it’s “very misunderstood with some audiences, uniquely within the US. Recently, Sarandos participated in a Q&A, reflecting on the platform’s global growth over the past four years. During, he spoke on their vision expanded well past North America
“It’s a little surprising in 2020 America that we’re having a discussion about censoring storytelling,” Sarandos says. “It’s a film that is very misunderstood with some audiences, uniquely within the United States. The film speaks for itself. It’s a very personal coming of age film, it’s the director’s story and the film has obviously played very well at Sundance without any of this controversy and played in theaters throughout Europe without any of this controversy.”
Meanwhile, the streaming giant is facing an indictment in Texas, after a grand jury in Tyler hit them last month on criminal charges for promoting content that “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.” In response, the company stated, “’Cuties‘ is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. This charge is without merit and we stand by the film.”
