Skin

Several disturbing scenes of bigotry. A teacher uses corporal punishment in the classroom. A man arms himself with a gun to protect his family. A child rubs bleach all over herself in an attempt to make her skin whiter. A mother slaps her daughter. A man fires a gun at another man, who is later beaten by cops. A ritual involves cutting a baby’s skin. A man breaks a car window and menacingly touches his wife. Cops ransack and raze a village. A man beats his wife.

A half-dressed man caresses a fully clothed woman. Lovers are shown lounging in bed under covers, their shoulders bare.

A man calls a woman a “bitch” after she resists his unwanted advances.

A man drinks beer at home.

Parents need to know that Skin is a complicated drama about racial politics and family relationships that follows a girl born to white parents but who has a dark complexion and black features. Set in South Africa during apartheid, the film deals with heavy and complicated themes that younger children may not quite grasp. But teens will appreciate the message -- that identity is much more than just skin deep. Expect scenes of explicit bigotry and some racially motivated violence.

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