TORONTO — In November 2017, Louis C.K., a popular comedian known for his Emmy-winning show about the behavior of men toward women, was accused of sexual misconduct by five women in the New York Times. Despite the allegations, many fans defended him, claiming that the accusers, most of whom were also comedians, simply weren’t funny. The new documentary “Sorry/Not Sorry,” produced by The New York Times and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, aims to challenge this notion by giving the women a voice.
The film presents a range of perspectives, making it clear that each woman measures the offenses against her differently. Caroline Suh, co-director, explained that the goal was to humanize the accusers. “We wanted to show them as people who you might be friends with or might know. This is all very, ‘They’re not victims,'” she said.
While the documentary does not reveal any explosive new allegations against C.K., it explores the complexities of sexual harassment and how it can happen to anyone. The film highlights that just because C.K.’s actions did not reach the level of drugging and raping multiple women like Bill Cosby, for example, it doesn’t excuse what he did. (C.K. admitted to the allegations in a written statement the day after the article was published.)
Suh, a Gen Xer, admitted that she initially struggled to comprehend the severity of C.K.’s actions. She wondered if it was really that bad. It was through conversations that she brought on Cara Mones, a self-proclaimed “geriatric millennial,” for her perspective. Mones stressed that the question should not be about the legality or severity but about fairness. Is it fair to subject people to such behavior? “It doesn’t really matter how traumatic something is. It’s just not okay,” she said.
The decision to premiere the documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival, where C.K.’s controversial film “I Love You, Daddy” played in 2017, was intentional. The festival’s documentary team director, Thom Powers, explained that it was a way of making up for the lack of awareness surrounding C.K.’s behavior in 2017.
Following the premiere, Greenwich Entertainment acquired the film, and it is set to be released next year. C.K. did not provide a comment for the film or respond to requests for comment from The Washington Post.
Rather than starting with C.K. or providing a summary of the allegations, the film opens with Abby Schachner, an artist and comedian, as she prepares to leave her New York apartment. This choice sets the tone for the film and emphasizes the women’s stories.
The film also features an interview with comedian Jen Kirkman, who was among the first to publicly discuss C.K.’s behavior. Kirkman initially hesitated to speak out when approached by The New York Times in 2017 because she didn’t feel that her experience was as severe as the other accusers’. Over the years, Kirkman had noticed uncomfortable behavior from C.K., but she didn’t have a baseline for what was acceptable in the comedy world. Eventually, she discussed the issue on her podcast and received widespread attention, leading to harassment that silenced her. Although C.K. called her privately, and they agreed it was best not to discuss it further, she faced difficulty finding opportunities to talk about her comedy work because the media only wanted to focus on C.K.
The film also includes interviews with comedian and writer Megan Koester, who shares her experience of how the comedy industry protected C.K., and men who reflect on their complicity, such as Noam Dworman, owner of the Comedy Cellar, and Michael Ian Black, a comedian who tweeted in support of C.K.’s return.
“Sorry/Not Sorry” provides a platform for the women to share their stories, highlighting the nuances of sexual harassment and asserting that it is never acceptable. By amplifying these voices, the film challenges prevailing attitudes and sheds light on the lasting impact of such behavior in the comedy world.
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