A bold French film stirs controversy in America
“Cuties” has attracted attention from Ted Cruz and QAnon
LIKE ANY 11-year-old girl starting at a new school, Amy (Fathia Youssouf) just wants to fit in. The conservative Muslim teachings of her Senegalese mother’s world impose a creed of pudeur, or modesty. Passing the laundry room of her high-rise block in a banlieue of Paris, Amy is dazzled by a different universe. She glimpses Angelica (Médina El Aidi-Azouni), dressed in a crop top and practising hip-swivelling dance moves as her washing spins.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The dancer and the dance”
From the September 19th 2020 edition
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