‘Cuties’ Director Hits Back Against Critics: ‘It’s Bold, It’s Feminist’

In response to the enormous backlash surging on social media and beyond, director Maïmouna Doucouré defended her film “Cuties” as a “feminist” work that aims to sound the alarm about the current sexualization of children.

Speaking on a panel for French filmmakers at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday, Doucouré said that she did not make a film intended for pedophiles, but instead wanted to raise awareness about a societal problem.

“It’s because I saw so many things and so many issues around me lived by young girls, that I decided to make this film and sound an alarm and say, ‘We need to protect our children,'” Doucouré said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“It’s bold, its feminist, but it’s so important and necessary to create debate and try to find solutions, for me as an artist, for politicians and parents. It’s a real issue,” she added.

Doucouré also hailed her film for being a piece of representation for people of color to see themselves on screen.

“It’s important to see someone like you on the screen, and to grow up with a lot of possibilities. So, of course, diversity and inclusion have to be the keys to progress in our cinema,” she said.

Netflix found itself at the center of controversy last month when it released a poster for the movie “Cuties” that featured pre-teen girls in sexually suggestive poses. The company apologized after severe online backlash. “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. W... (Read more)

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