Amy’s coming of age experience with her new friends upsets her mother as it is in direct confrontation with the family’s Senegalese Muslim traditions. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Tue, Mar 02, 2021 Andy Serkis. Viewers hit out at Netflix sign-ups Meghan, Harry and the Obamas as they stay 'silent' on controversial movie Cuties amid outrage that it 'sexualizes young girls' Thousands of … Actors Antonio Sabato Jr, Kevin Sorbo, and country music artist John Rich talk about how Hollywood is censoring conservatives. I was also lucky that these girls’ parents were also activists, so we were all on the same side. “‘Cuties’ is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement to Variety. 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I wanted to know how they dealt with their self-image at a time when social media is so important, and they have access to so much information and so many images.”, Doucouré said she “created a climate of trust between the children and myself” during filming, adding, “I explained to them everything I was doing and the research that I had done before I wrote this story. Rallying calls for Netflix subscribers to delete their accounts because of “Cuties” resulted in the Twitter hashtags #DeleteNetflix and #CancelNetflix becoming top trends in the U.S. on September 10. The critics may have responded to the film positively, but prospective audiences have turned out to be far less optimistic. And then our speaking out will permit other women to speak, until laws are changed and lives are saved and the world is altered forever. All rights reserved. This content is currently not available in your region. Outrage over “Cuties” erupted August 20 after Netflix debuted a poster for the film that featured its child stars making suggestive dance poses in revealing outfits. Cuties explores the various ways that vulnerable young girls act out sexually. “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.”, Doucouré says it’s clear from the backlash that people upset with her film have not streamed it, telling Zora, “I realize that the people who have started this controversy haven’t yet seen the film. "Cuties" has scenes that show young children in sexually explicit and exploitive ways. Viewers have called for the film to be removed from the streaming site as they claim it “sexualises young girls”.… “I decided to do research to see if they were aware and conscious of what they were doing,” Doucouré said. They might find a lot to like. The main takeaway from the backlash for Doucouré is to make sure moving forward she “takes the time to look at each step, even beyond the marketing…Next time, I will see the poster, and we’ll communicate better.”. “Cuties” director Maïmouna Doucouré has broken her silence in an interview with Zora amid escalating backlash that claims her award-winning coming-of-age drama sexualizes its young actresses. We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. “Cuties” stars newcomer Fathia Youssouf as Amy, an 11-year-old girl who befriends a group of dancers at her school and begins growing into her burgeoning femininity. CUTIES has caused a social media storm after being released on Netflix. (READ: Netflix’s “Cuties” Is So Much Worse Than We Thought and the Leftist Media Still Defends It) According to the Daily Caller’s Mary Margaret Olohan, Netflix has now responded to Americans angry about the overt sexualization of children, and it’s only made the situation worse. Andy Serkis is well known for … Actors Antonio Sabato Jr, Kevin Sorbo, and country music artist John Rich talk about how Hollywood is censoring conservatives. Since 2017, Blake Lively has been taking a stand and speaking out against child exploitation in a big way. I … She’s still working with the children, because I want to make sure that they can navigate this newfound stardom.”, Netflix never consulted Doucouré about the marketing for the movie, so she had no control over the first poster for the film that jumpstarted the controversy in the first place. It had few defenders, and surprising no one, you could find those defenders in the leftist mainstream media. She's not the first celebrity to speak out against vaccines. “Cuties” director Maïmouna Doucouré has broken her silence in an interview with Zora amid escalating backlash that claims her award-winning coming … The cast of the coming-of-age film “Cuties.” (Netflix via AP) The idea for “Cuties” was formed after Doucouré attended a neighborhood gathering in Paris and witnessed a group of young girls on a stage dancing in “a very sexually revealing way,” just as the characters in her film do. “I met over a hundred preteens who told me their stories. Copyright © 2021 Penske Business Media, LLC. This Article is related to: Film and tagged Cuties, Maimouna Doucoure, Netflix. Gay Hollywood: 43 Out and Proud LGBT Stars (Photos) From actress Jane Lynch to actor Zachary Quinto to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, stars who serve as inspirations for Pride Month. You will be redirected back to your article in, Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. See our, Read a limited number of articles each month, You consent to the use of cookies and tracking by us and third parties to provide you with personalized ads, Unlimited access to washingtonpost.com on any device, Unlimited access to all Washington Post apps, No on-site advertising or third-party ad tracking. Netflix: Cuties cast members' ages explored - how old are the girls? Before they became stars in Hollywood, these women were leading (little) ladies back home She moved to Canada when she was two, but this cutie still speaks … At their age, they’ve seen this kind of dance. 1. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. Conservative actors speak out on 'cancel culture' in Hollywood 26 February 2021, 9:28 am Actors Antonio Sabato Jr, Kevin Sorbo, and country music artist John Rich talk about how Hollywood is censoring conservatives. After days of silence, Netflix attempted to speak to the criticism on Thursday, urging detractors to give the film a chance. Cuties director Maïmouna Doucouré is speaking out about the viral campaign to cancel her Netflix film. Netflix has apologized to the public and to myself. The plot revolves around a Senegalese-French girl with a traditional Muslim upbringing who is caught between traditional values … We rely on readers like you to uphold a free press. The film stars Fathia Youssouf, Médina El Aidi-Azouni, Esther Gohourou, Ilanah Cami-Goursolas and Maïmouna Gueye. ... On her account, Ilanah writes that she is a dancer and actor. Netflix’s “Cuties” may be receiving a torrent of backlash out of North America, but France’s film industry is standing in support of Maimouna Doucouré’s feature debut. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Many of the actors who have spoken out about the allegations against Weinstein have professional ties to him. “We also worked with a child psychologist throughout the filming. Others point out that the film is the unfortunate victim of a poor marketing campaign and that critics took the poster out of context. “Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children,” the company said in a statement to Fox News. The poster led to accusations the film sexualizes its stars, when in reality “Cuties” openly criticizes the ways in which society puts pressure on young girls to be overtly sexual. One reason for that is, of course, the real-life young actors, whose own boundaries and comfort levels need to be taken into serious consideration when making a film like Cuties. While Netflix apologized for inappropriately marketing the film, the September 9 debut of “Cuties” on the streaming platform has caused backlash to explode on social media. €5 every 4 weeks or just €50 €20 for the first year, €7 every 4 weeks or just €70 €30 for the first year. 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By clicking “I agree” below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Any child with a telephone can find these images on social media these days.”, “However, these were composite shots, so the girls weren’t dancing like that all the time,” the director continued. By clicking “I agree” below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Courtney Stodden, who rose to fame in 2011 at the age of 16 for marrying then-51-year-old Doug Hutchison, is giving her two cents about the controversy surrounding Netflix's "Cuties." "Black Panther" star Letitia Wright has made headlines for posting an anti-vaccination video on Twitter. Opinion: The people freaking out about ‘Cuties’ should try it. The renewed backlash forced Netflix to issue a follow-up statement defending the film. As Donald Trump's inflammatory statements and dubious politics continue to polarize the nation, these 50 celebs use their platform to speak out against Trump and his policies. They might find a lot to like. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! I asked them how they felt about their femininity in today’s society. Utah Sen. Mike Lee again called for Netflix to cease distribution of the controversial film "Cuties," and says the media services giant lacks the "moral standing" to speak out on cultural issues. Cuties (French: Mignonnes) is a 2020 French coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Maïmouna Doucouré in her feature directorial debut. Cuties has won the Directing Jury Award at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. A couple of years ago, the actress, activist, and mother of two spoke of the importance of eradicating sexual exploitation of children at the Variety magazine’s Power of Women event in New York City, which honored her efforts among a class of several other distinguished women … Other lawmakers speaking out against Cuties include Republican U.S. House candidates in California James P. Bradley and Buzz Patterson. ... Conservative actors speak out on 'cancel culture' in Hollywood I’m eager to see their reaction when they realize that we’re both on the same side of this fight against young children’s hypersexualization.”.