Los Angeles, United States
The never-closed wound between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow emerges again with “Allen v. Farrow “, a documentary series premiering on HBO tomorrow, redressing allegations against the filmmaker for alleged sexual abuse of his daughter Dylan Farrow.
With four episodes directed by Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick (Oscar nominees for “The Invisible War,” 2012), “Allen v. Farrow” has already caused a stir ahead of its premiere and promises to spark further debate around the figure . Allen, who has consistently denied abuse and was not charged after a highly controversial investigation.
THE FACTS
Woody Allen and Mia Farrow were in a relationship for 12 years, spanning the entire decade of the 1980s, and they worked together on numerous films such as “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986).
Farrow had seven children: three of them she had with the conductor André Previn, three more she adopted with him (including Soon-Yi Previn), and one more that she adopted alone (Moses Farrow).
After starting his relationship with Allen, Farrow adopted a girl (Dylan Farrow) in 1985, and later the director accepted that this was his daughter, just like Moses.
Allen and Farrow, who did not get married and lived in different homes, had Satchel (later Ronan) in 1987.
In August 1992, Dylan Farrow, then 7 years old, claimed that Allen sexually assaulted her in the attic of Mia Farrow’s Connecticut home.
Allen denied those allegations, but did say he was in love with Soon-Yi, 22, the daughter of Mia Farrow and André Previn.
Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn, who are 35 years apart, were married in 1997 and have two children together.
Regarding the charges against Allen, a Connecticut hospital interviewed Dylan Farrow several times and said there was no evidence of abuse, while the prosecutor said there was a “probable cause” against the warden, but chose to have him. not to sue in order not to sue. to further traumatize the little girl.
New York authorities have also not charged the filmmaker amid a major media scandal and massive controversy over a highly controversial investigation full of strange points.
Allen tried to get custody of Moses, Dylan and Satchel (Ronan), but in 1993 he lost his trial against Farrow.
In December 2017, with the recent emergence of the #MeToo movement, Dylan Farrow wrote a text in the Los Angeles Times wondering why Allen had not been marginalized for his alleged sexual abuse, as was the case with Harvey Weinstein, for example.
That column changed Hollywood’s view of Allen.
Many actors (Timothée Chalamet, Greta Gerwig …) regretted their collaboration with the director, Amazon canceled the production agreement with him, his film “A Rainy Day in New York” (2019) was released in the US a year later. released. and in the midst of a pandemic, and his memoir “Apropos of Nothing” were not published in Hachette after printing from Ronan Farrow and the networks (eventually published in Arcade).
WHAT THE DOCUMENTARY OFFERS
Dylan Farrow’s testimony is without a doubt the most interesting of “Allen v. Farrow.”
“There is a lot of misinformation, confusion and a lot of lies. I have been subject to all kinds of doubts, scrutiny and humiliation for this,” he said, referring to the depression, panic attacks and fear of romantic relationships he has been through since then. .
Some of the most precious moments of “Allen v. Farrow” come with the home videos that Mia Farrow recorded the day after the little one’s alleged abuse.
“He went up to the attic (inaudible part), stood behind me and touched my genitals,” Dylan Farrow says in these recordings.
Mia Farrow and Ronan Farrow also appear in a broad group of voices unanimously defending the correctness of the allegations in “Allen v. Farrow.”
“It’s my fault, I brought this man into our family. I can’t help but get that out. And I understand why there are people who can’t believe it. Who the hell could believe that from Woody Allen ? “, The actress indicates. .
WHAT’S MISSING
Basically Allen’s version.
Neither the filmmaker nor his wife Soon-Yi Previn appear in a series about which the shadow of showing only one of the parties always floats.
Technically, Allen’s voice appears in “Allen v. Farrow”, as the directors use audiobook excerpts from “Apropos of Nothing”.
But it is not at all clear why they choose certain clips and ignore others within a series of problematic decisions from a journalistic point of view.
On the other hand, opinions that conflict with Mia Farrow and her surroundings are not taken into account, such as that of her son Moses Farrow, who has been hugely critical of his mother, who defends his father and who has a very turbulent picture of that house that fits the idyllic vision that “Allen v. Farrow” presents.