Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos DEFENDS controversial film 'Cuties' from accusations it sexualizes young girls and says America should not be 'censoring storytelling' after Texas grand jury indicted firm for 'lewd content'

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has defended the platform's decision to stream controversial movie Cuties and complained about 'censoring storytelling' after a Texas grand jury last week criminally indicted the streaming giant for depicting children in a lewd manner.

Directed by French-Senegalese director Maimouna Doucoure and released online in early September, the coming- of-age film follows the story of a rebellious 11-year-old Parisian girl called Amy who joins a dance group started by three other girls from her neighborhood.

Netflix has said the movie is a 'social commentary against the sexualization of young girls,' and serves as an eye-opener on how social media can enable that wrongdoing.

However, a Texas grand jury indicted Netflix under a law that forbids 'the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of an unclothed, partially clothed, or clothed child' and said the film had 'no serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.'

Netflix's CEO has defended the controversial film Cuties, which debuted at Sundance in January and hit the streaming platform in September

'It's a little surprising in 2020 America that we're having a discussion about censoring storytelling,' Ted Sarandos said Monday at Mipcom entertainment market

As the platform likely faces a fine or the motion picture being pulled, Sarandos criticized the decision at Mipcom entertainment market on Monday.

'It's a little surprising in 2020 America that we're having a discussion about censoring storytelling,' Deadline reports Sarandos said.

'It's a film that is very misunderstood with some audiences, uniquely within the United States,' Sarandos added Mipcom where he also received the Variety Vanguard Award.

'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.'

Last month, Turkey's broadcasting watchdog said it would order Netflix to block access locally to the film on grounds that it contains images of child exploitation.

But Cuties, called Mignonnes in French, earned director Doucoure a cinema dramatic directing award at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in January.

'It's a film that is very misunderstood with some audiences, uniquely within the United States,' Sarandos said. He received the Variety Vanguard Award at Mipcom

Cuties, directed by French-Senegalese director Maimouna Doucoure, has landed Netflix with an indictment in the state of Texas for allegedly depicting young children in a lewd manner

The plot of centers around a Muslim girl who 'starts to rebel against her conservative family's traditions when she becomes fascinated with a free-spirited dance crew,' according to Netflix.

In a Washington Post op-ed, Doucoure said her film was about the objectification of women and children, and the pressure pre-teen girls feel to be pretty and sexy.

But Netflix has agreed that the marketing didn't reflect the deeper message which may have been the reason a campaign to #CancelNetflix emerged on social media in September.

In September, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who had not seen the film, called on the Justice Department to investigate whether it had broken any laws banning child pornography.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joined two other state attorney generals in a letter asking Netflix to withdraw the film from its hugely popular streaming platform.

The controversy around Cuties has mobilized the conservative right in Texas and beyond in the run-up to the November 3 election. 

The Trump campaign has tried to play it up as a sign of two contrasting visions of society, the traditional Christian values of the Republicans and the more iconoclastic, liberal approach of the Democrats.

In September, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who had not seen the film, called on the Justice Department to investigate whether it had broken any laws banning child pornography