September 18, 2020 361A RÅssell Senate Office BÅilding

September 18, 2020

Senator Mike Lee United States Senate 361A R ssell Senate Office B ilding Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Lee:

Thank o for o r letter inq iring abo t the marketing and release of the film, C ties. We elcome the opport nit to address o r q estions and concerns regarding the film.

C ties is an a ard inning, semi-a tobiographical film directed b first time feat re filmmaker, Ma mo na Do co r . The film capt res her o n e perience and obser ations of the press re o ng girls face as the gro p. Do co r obser es that, o r children sho ld ha e the time to be children. Ho e er, societ and media often send the opposite message: O r girls see that the more a oman is o erl se ali ed on social media, the more she is s ccessf l. Children j st imitate hat the see, tr ing to achie e the same res lt itho t

nderstanding the meaning. It is dangero s. 1

The film has generated disc ssion abo t social media and pre-adolescent se ali ation. We elcome con ersations that address the important social iss es raised b this film. Ho e er,

it is nfort nate that a significant ol me of negati e commentar has come from those ho ha e not atched the concl sion of the film in hich innocence and childhood are restored. In fact, man ma be na are that C ties is a social critiq e against the se ali ation of children.

Netflix opposes the exploitation of children. Cuties is a film that exposes and condemns the persistent problem of the sexuali ation of girls in society.

C ties is a ca tionar tale e posing ho societ enco rages the se ali ation of o ng people. It emphasi es the critical role that famil and comm nit pla in the protection and de elopment of o r children. The film begins ith the main character, 11 ear old Am , rebelling against the confines of her strict famil b joining a tro pe of girls from school,

hose dance ro tines mimic the s ggesti e choreograph of mat re performers the see on social media. The film concl des ith Am recogni ing the oppression that comes hen

1 We enco rage ie ing of the Director s remarks e plaining h she made the film and the e tensi e research she did in preparation for filming. See https:// .netfli .com/ atch/81340455.

societ normali es the e ploitation of girls and their bodies. In the end, she rejects that oppression to embrace her o n childhood and innocence

C ties is not pornographic2, does not contain nderage n dit 3, and does not depict se al acts, sim lated or other ise.4 The film does not glamori e or promote the se ali ation or e ploitation of children -- j st the opposite. The film s central theme is that the cond ct of the C ties is not se , aro sing or all ring. Rather, gi en their ages, it is inappropriate, shamef l, and a hallmark of a c lt ral failing. As Do co r e plains: "It's beca se I sa so man things and so man iss es aro nd me li ed b o ng girls, that I decided to make this film and so nd an alarm and sa , 'We need to protect o r children.'"

The film shines a painf l light on the message that o ng girls face e er da : Se iness is al ed. Childhood is not. The film s themes and some scenes are ncomfortable and psetting. The are s pposed to be. B forcing the a dience to see ho societ is in red to,

and e en enco rages the se ali ation of children, the film makes it impossible for ie ers to ignore the conseq ences of e ploitation that are act all occ rring in o r comm nities. In that sense, the film C ties achie ed hat often onl art can do -- it ca sed people to learn more and to see the orld thro gh the lens of another. It also created hard con ersations that one might hope ill resol e to ards change and betterment of societ .

For Netflix and our creative partners, the safety and well-being of children and minors on productions is paramount.

Netfli acq ired C ties as a finished film shortl before its premiere at this ear s S ndance Film Festi al. When e license a film e req ire, at a minim m, that the licensor arrant that filming complied ith the la , incl ding as it relates it to minors. The film s director ent f rther to s pport her cast b pro iding reso rces to the child actors, incl ding making a co nselor a ailable d ring filming and for after the film s release. Unfort natel , the misinformed and itriolic social media commentar abo t the film has fomented threats to ards the director, and e ha e had to pro ide additional sec rit to the creator and cast to ens re their safet , and that of their families.

Cuties is a film for mature audiences. It is not designed for or intended to appeal to children.

E er title on Netfli has a mat rit rating and e are committed to b ilding and refining tools on o r ser ice to help members make informed choices abo t hat to atch, incl ding parental controls for families. Netfli assigned C ties a TV-MA mat rit rating beca se it

218 U.S.C. ? 2251, et seq. 3 There is a fleeting moment of n dit in the film here the lead character atches a ideo on social media of an older dance gro p and one of the older dancers in the ideo briefl e poses her breast. The actor in that scene is not one of the child actors, b t as another actor ho as of majorit age at the time of filming. 4 See U.S. . Dost, 636 F.S pp. 828 (S.D. Cal. 1986), aff d 813 F.2d 1231 (9th Cir. 1987).

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contains mat re lang age. A TV-MA rating a tomaticall e cl des the film and its promotion from incl sion in an Kids profiles, and from an profile here parents ha e p t in place age-based ratings limits. Members also ha e the option of sing a PIN to block indi id al films or series on an profiles. We deepl regret that the art ork and title description that initiall accompanied the anno ncement of C ties deb t on Netfli ere not reflecti e of the s bject matter or message of the film. We remo ed them as the failed to properl represent the film, leading to a false narrati e that the film and o r promotion of it, ere e ploitati e of minors. This as a disser ice to the film s message and e ha e apologi ed to the p blic and the director for the error. Thank o again for this opport nit to address o r concerns. We are happ to engage in con ersations regarding the important polic and social iss es raised b this film.

Sincerel ,

Dean Garfield Vice President, Global P blic Polic Netfli , Inc.

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