This movie at its core is about the performative expectations of young women in modern society and the conflict those expectations can cause.
The main character, Amy, is raised in a traditional Senegalese household and is taught that the exposed female form is to be derided and shamed. On the flip-side she is also a child in the late-2010's bombarded with the expectations of social media, and modern culture at large that prizes raw sexuality and fetishizes youth.
Through the course of the film Amy finds that no matter which side she attempts to please or conform to, she finds herself fundamentally unhappy and both cultures, traditional and modern, find her lacking the necessary grace to be accepted.
This film discusses the real world struggles for identity and acceptance that many girls deal with on a day-to-day basis, and highlights the stark contrast between the modern performative expectations of sexuality and a girl coming to own her sexuality in a healthy constructive way. Similarly, we see how even when cloistered from "modern society" in a Senegalese closed-community the expectations of sexual ownership and femininity are similarly fraught. This is displayed most prominently as Amy's mother finds her husband has taken a second wife without her approval and she (Amy's mother) is expected to carry this burden with grace and without protest.
As for as the over-sexualization of the child performers is concerned, I can agree that some of the filmography lingers unnecessarily. I believe a greater distance from the performers would have given the audience a better perspective on what our culture expects (See: Tiktok, Instagram) versus the youth of the performers themselves. The film does not glorify the over-sexualized actions, it condemns them. The film never encourages you to "enjoy" these scenes, but to be made uncomfortable for good reason. Young girls should not have societal pressure to be "performatively sexual enough" for society. They deserve to come to explore and own their sexuality for themselves and themselves only.
This is a nuanced film that deserves a nuanced viewing, and yes, a viewing. If you have not watched this movie in whole you should not be speaking on it. You are speaking from a position of chosen ignorance and even if your feelings about the film don't change after you have seen it, at least you have watched the source material whole-cloth.
This is a story about individuality and shrugging off the mantle of societal expectation both modern and traditional.
This is a very well told story and I give this movie an 8/10.
Through the course of the film Amy finds that no matter which side she attempts to please or conform to, she finds herself fundamentally unhappy and both cultures, traditional and modern, find her lacking the necessary grace to be accepted.
This film discusses the real world struggles for identity and acceptance that many girls deal with on a day-to-day basis, and highlights the stark contrast between the modern performative expectations of sexuality and a girl coming to own her sexuality in a healthy constructive way. Similarly, we see how even when cloistered from "modern society" in a Senegalese closed-community the expectations of sexual ownership and femininity are similarly fraught. This is displayed most prominently as Amy's mother finds her husband has taken a second wife without her approval and she (Amy's mother) is expected to carry this burden with grace and without protest.
As for as the over-sexualization of the child performers is concerned, I can agree that some of the filmography lingers unnecessarily. I believe a greater distance from the performers would have given the audience a better perspective on what our culture expects (See: Tiktok, Instagram) versus the youth of the performers themselves. The film does not glorify the over-sexualized actions, it condemns them. The film never encourages you to "enjoy" these scenes, but to be made uncomfortable for good reason. Young girls should not have societal pressure to be "performatively sexual enough" for society. They deserve to come to explore and own their sexuality for themselves and themselves only.
This is a nuanced film that deserves a nuanced viewing, and yes, a viewing. If you have not watched this movie in whole you should not be speaking on it. You are speaking from a position of chosen ignorance and even if your feelings about the film don't change after you have seen it, at least you have watched the source material whole-cloth.
This is a story about individuality and shrugging off the mantle of societal expectation both modern and traditional.
This is a very well told story and I give this movie an 8/10.