Cuties director Maïmouna Doucouré has defended her French indie film on Netflix from accusations that it hyper-sexualizes prepubescent girls, as she argued her directorial debut aimed at social commentary and change. "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,'" Doucouré told a TIFF panel on French filmmakers Monday.