The Cruel Cut

Female Genital Mutilation, or FGM, is when a girl's genitals are either partially or totally removed for non-medical reasons. Leyla Hussein, a campaigner and mother, was cut when she was seven years old. Four women held her down, while a fifth person cut her. The pain was so intense that Leyla screamed for her mother to help her, before passing out. Now, with an estimated 24,000 British girls at risk of FGM, and 66,000 women and girls living with its terrible consequences in this country alone, Leyla wants to stop FGM. This passionate and exuberant documentary explores the complex world of FGM, how it could be your neighbour, your colleague or the girl on the bus next to you who could be either at risk or suffering the consequences. The Cruel Cut examines the cultural and societal pressures, and how it manages to continue despite being illegal in the UK, and follows Leyla's campaign as she and a group of survivors attempt to take their cause to the very top of the government.