Sweetness in the Belly

Parents need to know that Sweetness in the Belly is a drama based on Camilla Gibb's same-named novel. It tells the story of Lilly (Dakota Fanning), a woman born to English parents who grows up at a Sufi shrine in Ethiopia before emigrating to London. Lilly is a powerful role model who works hard to improve her own life and the lives of others; she's also a Muslim who practices her religion faithfully. The movie is frank about the privileges she gets as a light-skinned refugee. A romance springs up between Lilly and an Ethiopian man. They have sex with moaning and movements, but no nudity; they also kiss. A woman tells a story about having sex with soldiers to keep her family safe. Violence, including scenes in which armed soldiers push people on streets and protesters scream, is generally viewed from a distance, such as on television or from far away. But there's one scene in which a character in bloody clothes stands waiting to be killed (a gun is heard cocking off-screen). Viewers also hear about, but don't see, prisoners of war being tortured and beaten. Characters chew khat (a legal stimulant in Ethiopia) and drink liquor, but not to excess. Characters also show extensive humility and courage in pulling together to help others when it's needed.