Six years ago, American comedian Louis CK arrived at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with the highly anticipated film I Love You, Daddy, just as sexual misconduct allegations against him were gaining traction.
The film sold for $5 million at TIFF, but before it could be released in theaters, its premiere was canceled and the release was postponed. After years of rumors, a New York Times article from November of that year detailed allegations from several women describing incidents in which the comedian 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 talked-about #MeToo cases. “Sorry/Not Sorry,” directed by Caroline Suh and Cara Mones and produced by The Times, looks at the allegations, the consequences for those who came forward and CK’s return to comedy.
“In the early years, the advice I was given was: Don’t make this movie,” recalls Suh, who directed the Barack Obama-narrated documentary series “Working: What We Do All Day.”
Suh himself was a big fan of Louis CK and didn’t immediately find the allegations against the comedian damning – especially compared to other cases in the #MeToo movement like Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby.
“Honestly, my first reaction was: Is this so bad? ” She said.
Acquired for distribution by Greenwich Entertainment following its premiere at TIFF, “Sorry/Not Sorry” re-examines the scandal and its aftermath, particularly in light of the successful comeback of CK The Comedian, recognized in his 2017 “Apologies.” that “these stories are true.” 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 seemed that many people were hesitant to talk about the thorny issues of consent and power when it came to CK – and that was a good reason to make the film.
“For many people it was a gray area. Among all the stories coming out now, it struck her as unusual, she said. There are many questions to investigate. »
The filmmakers particularly wanted to detail the experiences of the women who went public about their encounters with CK. Some later struggled to find success in comedy or were harassed online by his supporters. Comedian Abby Schachner, who recalls that CK didn’t ask permission before masturbating while on the phone with her in 2003, talks about her fear of being publicly defined by the scandal.
“It was important to ask questions and express perspectives. And these views are really about the women who came forward,” says producer Kathleen Lingo.
“What happens when a woman tells the truth?” What happens to him? »
The film interviews several figures from the comedy world, including comedian Jen Kirkman, who first alluded to CK’s behavior in a 2015 podcast. Comedian Megan Koester, Parks and Recreation series co-creator 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 film. Louis CK is not participating in an interview and did not respond to filmmakers’ requests. And they claim that almost all of the celebrity 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 scandals. In his self-published special “Sincerely Louis CK,” which was released in 2020, he first asked the audience about his later years. “Was anyone else in trouble on a global level?” 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 do it. You have to check often, I guess I would say. It’s not always clear how people feel. »
Whether comments like these were enough to rehabilitate him is one of the film’s overarching questions.
“Our intention was to make a very fact-based film,” emphasizes Caroline Suh. We don’t want to speculate: Why did he do that? It might be helpful to just state the facts. »
“Sorry/Not Sorry,” due out next year, follows a series of setbacks for the #MeToo movement. The filmmakers hope to reframe the conversation.
“We feel like every time there is a current event we say to ourselves, ‘#MeToo fails’ or ‘#MeToo succeeds,’” says Kathleen Lingo.
“It’s been six years and I think it’s an incredibly revolutionary movement. We’re still at it. »