After a lengthy controversy around Netflix film ‘Cuties’ that many alleged was inappropriate among other things, Ted Sarandos (Netflix co-CEO) has brushed off a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/netflix-faces-indictment-in-texas-over-controversial-french-film-cuties-333030">grand jury indictment.</a>

At an address, Ted said, "Frankly, I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion about the First Amendment implications of this film. It's a film I would argue is very misunderstood with some audiences, uniquely in the United States.”

‘Cuties’, helmed by Doucouré in her feature directorial debut, is a coming-of-age story about an 11-year-old girl from a traditional Muslim Senegalese family who tries to fit in by joining a group of young dancers who carry out sexualized routines and post them online.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/cuties-director-defends-film-says-it-does-not-hyper-sexualise-young-girls-327715">'Cuties' director defends film, says 'it does not hyper-sexualise young girls'</a>

Meanwhile, a grand jury in Texas accused Netflix of promoting "visual material which 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 and has no serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/cuties-director-maimouna-doucoure-receives-death-threats-amid-poster-backlash-325184">'Cuties' director&nbsp;Maimouna Doucoure receives death threats amid poster backlash</a>

Ted further said, "It’s the director’s story and the film has obviously played very well at Sundance, without any of this kind of controversy and played in theaters throughout Europe without any of this controversy. I think it’s a little surprising that in 2020 in America, we’re having a discussion about censoring storytelling.”

After a lengthy controversy around Netflix film ‘Cuties’ that many alleged was inappropriate among other things, Ted Sarandos (Netflix co-CEO) has brushed off a grand jury indictment.

After a lengthy controversy around Netflix film ‘Cuties’ that many alleged was inappropriate among other things, Ted Sarandos (Netflix co-CEO) has brushed off a grand jury indictment. At an address, Ted said, "Frankly, I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion about the First Amendment implications of this film. It's a film I would argue is very misunderstood with some audiences, uniquely in the United States.” ‘Cuties’, helmed by Doucouré in her feature directorial debut, is a coming-of-age story about an 11-year-old girl from a traditional Muslim Senegalese family who tries to fit in by joining a group of young dancers who carry out sexualized routines and post them online. 'Cuties' director defends film, says 'it does not hyper-sexualise young girls' Meanwhile, a grand jury in Texas accused Netflix of promoting "visual material which 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 and has no serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value." 'Cuties' director Maimouna Doucoure receives death threats amid poster backlash Ted further said, "It’s the director’s story and the film has obviously played very well at Sundance, without any of this kind of controversy and played in theaters throughout Europe without any of this controversy. I think it’s a little surprising that in 2020 in America, we’re having a discussion about censoring storytelling.”

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos defends 'Cuties', calling it 'misunderstood by some'

After all the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/backlash-over-cuties-controversy-sparks-cancelnetflix-campaign-326927">controversy t</a>hat has erupted around French film ‘Cuties’ after it landed on Netflix, film’s director Maïmouna Doucoure has defended her indie film. She argues that ‘Cuties’ does not hyper sexualise young girls as is claimed.&nbsp;

Speaking at a TIFF panel on French filmmakers, she said, "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’.”

In the film, a preteen girl leaves her Senegalese family background to fit in by joining a group of precociously sexualized dancers as tradition and teenage rebellion collide.

The director said, "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.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/cuties-director-maimouna-doucoure-receives-death-threats-amid-poster-backlash-325184">'Cuties' director Maimouna Doucoure receives death threats amid poster backlash</a>

"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 added.

Also, Netflix in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter defended Cuties as "a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. 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 was picked up by Netflix after its Sundance premiere, and the streaming giant had to apologize for a marketing campaign and its promo materials in August. "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. We’ve now updated the pictures and description," the streamer said via its Twitter account.

After all the controversy that has erupted around French film ‘Cuties’ after it landed on Netflix, film’s director Maïmouna Doucoure has defended her indie film.

After all the controversy that has erupted around French film ‘Cuties’ after it landed on Netflix, film’s director Maïmouna Doucoure has defended her indie film. She argues that ‘Cuties’ does not hyper sexualise young girls as is claimed. Speaking at a TIFF panel on French filmmakers, she said, "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’.” In the film, a preteen girl leaves her Senegalese family background to fit in by joining a group of precociously sexualized dancers as tradition and teenage rebellion collide. The director said, "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.” 'Cuties' director Maimouna Doucoure receives death threats amid poster backlash "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 added. Also, Netflix in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter defended Cuties as "a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. 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 was picked up by Netflix after its Sundance premiere, and the streaming giant had to apologize for a marketing campaign and its promo materials in August. "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. We’ve now updated the pictures and description," the streamer said via its Twitter account.

'Cuties' director defends film, says 'it does not hyper-sexualise young girls'

Netflix has now issued an apology for its cover poster of a French film ‘Cuties’ that people have been outraging over as it sexualises young girls.&nbsp;

In its apology Netflix issued a statement saying, "It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which won an award at Sundance” after people called the poster "inappropriate artwork".&nbsp;

The said poster of the film released by Netflix shows young girls of the film in suggestive dance poses. This led to a petition in Change.org to remove Cuties from the streaming platform, calling it, "disgusting as it sexualizes an eleven-year-old for the viewing pleasure of pedophiles and also negatively influences our children.”

The petition raised important points that such content was not needed especially when sex trafficking and pedophilia are so rampant.

‘Cuties’ premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January with Doucouré. At the time, the project was inspired after she witnessed a group of young girls performing a "sensual" dance for an audience of their parents.

Netflix has now issued an apology for its cover poster of a French film ‘Cuties’ that people have been outraging over as it sexualises young girls. In its apology Netflix issued a statement saying, "It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which won an award at Sundance” after people called the poster "inappropriate artwork".

Netflix has now issued an apology for its cover poster of a French film ‘Cuties’ that people have been outraging over as it sexualises young girls. In its apology Netflix issued a statement saying, "It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which won an award at Sundance” after people called the poster "inappropriate artwork". The said poster of the film released by Netflix shows young girls of the film in suggestive dance poses. This led to a petition in Change.org to remove Cuties from the streaming platform, calling it, "disgusting as it sexualizes an eleven-year-old for the viewing pleasure of pedophiles and also negatively influences our children.” The petition raised important points that such content was not needed especially when sex trafficking and pedophilia are so rampant. ‘Cuties’ premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January with Doucouré. At the time, the project was inspired after she witnessed a group of young girls performing a "sensual" dance for an audience of their parents.

Netflix apologises for using 'inappropriate artwork' as cover poster of French film 'Cuties'