Netflix will not stop streaming hit Polish movie "365 Days" despite the numerous calls for its withdrawal.
Welsh singer Duffy, 36, has written an open letter to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, criticizing him for the decision to broadcast a movie that "glamorizes the brutal reality of sex trafficking, kidnapping, and rape."
In Duffy's words, such topics should not anyone's idea of entertainment or are commercialized in this way.
The movie, described as an "erotic drama," is based on the Polish best-seller "365 dni" ("365 Days") by Blanka Lipinska. It tells the story of a Polish woman abducted by a mafia boss in Sicily, Italy. He imprisons her in his mansion and repeatedly abuses her sexually while giving her one year to fall in love with him.
Netflix should not provide a platform for this type of cinema, Duffy wrote. She highlighted that the victims of trafficking and kidnapping often remain the shadows; they rarely complain and open up about their stories. Yet, their suffering is turned into an ''erotic drama,'' as outlined by Netlfix.
Earlier this year, Duffy revealed her traumatizing personal history of being captured and raped.
Her letter followed a petition set up on Change.org, calling for the film to be removed from Netflix for facilitating sexual aggression towards women and Stockholm Syndrome. By late Friday, the petition had nearly 6,000 signatures.
The movie, which debuted on Netflix in June to intense viewers' interest, carried high ratings for violence, sex, and nudity, said a spokesperson for the streaming platform.
He also pointed out that Netflix had only licensed the film, but it was involved in the production as it was a Polish movie leased in theaters in several countries in February.
He also pointed out this was a Polish film released theatrically in several countries in February, and that Netflix had licensed the film and was not involved in the production.
Netflix gives its members worldwide more choice and control over their viewing experience, the spokesperson concluded.
In April, Duffy, who disappeared from the public eye for nearly a decade, revealed how she had been drugged, kidnapped to another country and held hostage while being raped for four weeks.
She explained she shared the story to free herself from her emotional burden and help fellow women who went through the same suffering.
Duffy is not the sole critic of the movie. ''365 Days'' received a number of negative reviews, including a 0% score on the review aggregation platform Rotten Tomatoes.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with Duffy's statement that Netflix should remove ''365 Days'' from its streaming service?