In Paris, an 11-year-old girl (Fathia Youssouf) from Senegal is torn between the culture of her family and a fun-loving group of girls who are constantly pushing limits. An earnest and engaging look at children who are desperately trying to act like adults, inspired by the sexualized social media culture we’ve all made the new normal. The portrayal of Amy’s conflict feels heartfelt and relevant, and the boisterous kids are all terrific. Their sexually provocative dancing serves a point in the film, even if the director’s approach is uncomfortably redundant at times.
2020-France. 96 min. Color. Widescreen. Written and directed by Maïmouna Doucouré. Cast: Fathia Youssouf (Amy), Médina El Aidi-Azouni (Angelica), Maïmouna Gueye (Mariam), Esther Gohourou, Ilanah Cami-Goursolas, Myriam Hamma.
Trivia: Original title: Mignonnes. After a tasteless Netflix PR campaign, the film was subjected to massive online criticism, involving U.S. politicians and media figures who incorrectly accused it of being ”child porn”, resulting in death threats against the filmmakers.