(Toronto) Six years ago, American comedian Louis CK came to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with the highly anticipated I Love You, Daddyjust as allegations of sexual misconduct against him were gaining prominence.
The film sold at TIFF for $5 million, but before it could hit theaters, its premiere was canceled and its release scuttled. After years of rumors, an article from New York Times from November of that year detailed allegations from several women describing incidents in which CK masturbated in front of female colleagues.
Now, a new documentary premiering in Toronto, where CK’s downfall began, takes a look at one of the most debated #metoo cases. Sorry/Not Sorrydirected by Caroline Suh and Cara Mones and produced by the Timeslooks at the allegations, the consequences for those who came forward, and C.K.’s return to comedy.
“In the early years, the advice I was given was: Don’t make this movie,” recalled Suh, who directed the Barack Obama-narrated documentary series, Working: What We Do All Day.
Suh, herself, was a big fan of Louis CK and didn’t immediately view the allegations against the comedian as damning — especially in comparison to other cases in the #metoo movement, like Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby.
“Honestly, my first reaction was: is this so bad? “, she said.
Sorry/Not Sorryacquired by Greenwich Entertainment for distribution after its premiere at TIFF, reexamines the scandal and its aftermath, particularly in light of the thriving comeback of CK The Comedian, who acknowledged that “these stories are true” in his 2017 apology, won the Grammy for Best Comedy Album last year and performed to a sold-out Madison Square Garden in January.
A gray area
According to Mones, it appeared that many people were hesitant to talk about the thorny issues of consent and power when it came to C.K. – and that was a good reason to make the film.
“It was in a gray area for a lot of people. It seemed unusual among all the stories that were starting to come out, she said. There are many questions to explore. »
The filmmakers particularly wanted to detail the experiences of the women who went public with their encounter with C.K. Some later struggled to achieve success in comedy or were heckled online by his supporters. Comedian Abby Schachner, who recalls that CK did not ask permission before masturbating while speaking to her on the phone in 2003, talks about her fears of being publicly defined by the scandal.
“There were questions to ask and perspectives to express. And these views are really about the women who have come forward,” says producer Kathleen Lingo.
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Several figures from the comedy world are interviewed in the film, including comedian Jen Kirkman, who first alluded to CK’s behavior in a podcast in 2015. Comedian Megan Koester, the co-creator of the series Parks and Recreation Michael Schur and Noam Dworman, owner of New York’s Comedy Cellar, also appear in the film.
But it’s also important to know who isn’t in the movie. Louis CK is not in an interview and did not respond to the filmmakers’ requests. And they claim that almost all of the prominent comedians contacted did not want to be interviewed.
The return of Louis CK
At the same time, CK returned to comedic monologue and often addressed scandal. In his 2020 self-distributed special, Sincerely Louis C.K., he began by questioning the audience about his last years. “Has anyone else been in trouble on a global scale?” “, he said.
Later in the show, he addressed the incidents more directly.
“If you want to do it with someone else, you have to ask first,” he said. But if they say yes, you still can’t say, “Woo!” and go for it. You need to check often, I guess that’s what I would say. It’s not always clear how people feel. »
Whether comments like these were enough to redeem him is one of the film’s overarching questions.
“Our intention was to make a film very based on facts,” emphasizes Caroline Suh. We don’t want to speculate: why did he do that? Just stating the facts might help. »
Sorry/Not Sorry, due out next year, comes after a series of setbacks for the #metoo movement. The filmmakers hope to refocus the conversation.
“We have the impression that every time there is a current event, we say to ourselves: “#metoofails” or “#metoosucceeds”,” says Kathleen Lingo.
“It’s been what, six years, and I think it’s an incredibly revolutionary movement. We are still in this. »