Everybody loves to talk about the latest series they're binging or recommending the next movie they think you should add to your list. However, one of Netflix's newest additions has caused quite a controversy. So much so that it has people campaigning to get 365 Days (365 Dni in its original Polish) taken it off the streaming platform.
This article contains descriptions of sexual assault, which may trigger some readers. If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, call the Assaulted Women's Helpline at 1-866-863-0511 or find them online here. You can also contact the Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Assault at 1-866-887-0015 or online here. For a list of resources by province, go here.
The film is based on a novel trilogy by Blanka Lipińska, which portrays the story of a woman who travels to Italy and is captured by Massimo Torricelli, a member of the Sicilian mafia and deemed one the most dangerous man in Sicily.
The film depicts scenes of rape and sexual assault.
On June 17, Collectif Soeurcières, an inclusive feminist collective based in Caen, France started a Change.org petition addressed to Netflix France to remove the film from all availability.
The petition, translated from French, reads, "A film that advocates the culture of rape has no place on our screens, nor in our society."
At the moment of writing this article, the petition had already gained 1,529 signatures.
Despite the petition being directed specifically towards Netflix France, many people in Quebec have also started sharing it.
"At no time is the notion of consent respected, sexual assaults are extremely numerous, the assailant repeatedly threatens his victim with harm if she refuses to let him do what he wants with her," the petition points out.
Currently, it holds a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on six reviews.
Another petition in English, which was started in the United States, has been circulating also.
Since its release Netflix, it has become a top-three item in countries, like Canada, Germany, New Zealand and many others. It was the number-one item in the U.S. and U.K.