The top-notch investigative filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering who have previously received accolades for compelling documentaries like,” The Hunting Ground”, “On the Record” and the Oscar-nominated ” The Invisible War” have chronicled yet another unflinching story. The duo is going to render a screen to the most controversial sexual assault case. HBO is releasing a four-episode docuseries named Allen v Farrow, a documentary on the alleged sexual assault by Woody Allen of his own daughter.
Allen v Farrow: Release Date
Allen V farrow will be released every Sunday for 4 weeks from February 22, 2021, on HBO and HBOMax.It is a well-documented investigative work put together by several personal video footage, official legal documents, court evidence, and audiotapes that have come up for the very first time.
Woody Allen: The cinematic genius and the alleged child abuser
Born in Brooklyn, Allen Stewart Konigsberg (later changed to Woody Allen) had discovered his flair for writing in early life. Starting with small gigs as a stand-up comedian, Allen soon stepped into writing, directing, and acting in his films. His films were an amalgamation of slapstick humor, bleak and dramatic insinuation of reality.
His breakthrough movie, the rom-com; “Annie Hall”, a film that he created and acted in along with Diane Keaton, made him win four Academy Awards. With marvels like Hannah and her sisters, A Midnight in Paris, and The Purple Rose of Cairo in his name, Allen has been the most prolific filmmaker for more than 2 decades.
In 1992, he was accused of sexually assaulting his 7-year-old daughter but was proved innocent and was acquitted of the charges by the Connecticut court. Allen’s image of a genius artist and an exemplary filmmaker still dominated.
It wasn’t until recent years when under the wave of “#MeToo movement, production companies and actors started refusing to work with him. In 2020, The Hachette Book Group denied publishing Allen’s memoir,” Apropos of Nothing”.His film ” A Rainy Day in New York” couldn’t find any distributors and faced trouble releasing while the very proficient stars of this movie like Timothee Chalamet, Selena Gomez, and Rebecca Hall refused to keep their salaries and donated them to charities.
Allen v Farrow: a testimony to a child’s trauma
By the makers of several unflinching investigative films on assault cases in the US military, college campuses, etc, Dick and Ziering directed Allen v Farrow have attempted to level the power dynamics. This documentary is said to have given Dylan the platform to disclose her stance; nuanced, detailed, and undiminished.
Episode one of the docuseries is the overture, how romance sprouted up between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow; a talented actress herself, Mia’s previous marriage and her 7 kids, and how things overturned when Allen and Farrow co-adopted Dylan Farrow. Dylan recollects Allen clutching her and how it felt like he hunted her down.
The second episode shows the budding of Allen’s relationship with his now-wife of 20 years and also Mia’s adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. The episode ends with a detailed account of Dylan’s alleged sexual assault on August 4, 1992.
The third and fourth episode depicts the court trials on custody, assault cases and repercussions on Dylan and a still seemingly undamaged reputation of Allen, reinstating the ever-continuing debate of separating the art from the artist.
This documentary has taken into account the statements of Dylan Farrow, Mia Farrow, Dylan’s brother Ronan Sullivan Farrow and the housekeepers, visitors, etc.
Woody Allen reacts to documentary
Woody Allen yet again opposed all the allegations and claims shown in the HBO series saying it is “riddled with falsehoods”.While sources say, he was approached just in a few days’ notice to respond to the creators for interview requests in the series, he didn’t comply. The show contains Allen’s audiobooks from his memoir and each episode ends with him disaffirming all the allegations.
Soon-Yi Previn, Allen’s wife has always claimed that the whole scandal is a stint by Mia Farrow out of spite. Mia was a really abusive mother to Previn and was enraged when she finds out about the Allen-Previn relationship. Moses Farrow, one of her 10 adopted kids has also defended Woody Allen and made some shocking revelations about how the tragic deaths of many of Mia’s kids were due to the childhood abuse inflicted on them.
Allen and his defendants believe Dylan was brainwashed by her mother into believing the allegations but Dylan has rebutted it.
Allen v Farrow: Official Trailer
The documentary has made headlines and once again the facts, claims, allegations, denials of this unresolved case are hitting tabloids.
