With the documentary series "Allen v. Farrow", filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering explore the story of one of Hollywood's most famous scandals: the accusations of sexual touching against Woody Allen, made by Dylan Farrow, his adopted daughter.
This Monday March 1, 2021, the eagerly awaited documentary series Allen v. Farrow lands in France, on OCS. In four episodes, filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering return to one of Hollywood's most famous scandals: the accusations of sexual touching against Woody Allen made by Dylan Farrow, his adopted 7-year-old daughter. at the time of the facts that it denounces. From the divorce of Woody Allen and actress Mia Farrow to this legal battle, to the revelations of the director's relationship with Soon-Yi Previn, Mia Farrow's other adopted daughter, these facts are known to everyone. s. The novelty is thatAllen v Farrow sheds light on the consequences of such a case on the alleged victim, his family and their allies.
As a reminder, Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn refused to participate in this documentary. Now that he is out, the American director strongly condemns the comments made against him. However, Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering serve a series rich in revelations, lifting the veil on the culture of rape and incest that hangs over Hollywood and our society as a whole.
Film actor, Director
born on 12/01/1935
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The suspicions that haunted Mia Farrow
Some anecdotes told by Mia Farrow haunt our minds as they did with her. When she thinks she has the perfect love affair with Woody Allen, they decide to adopt a daughter, Dylan. A few years later, the actress fell pregnant and, according to her, Woody Allen had only one desire: to have a daughter again. The director also confides it to journalists during an interview. When Ronan, Dylan's little brother, is born, it is a disappointment for Woody Allen. He has a special relationship with his daughter Dylan, taking her away from Mia Farrow, convincing her that her mother is too busy to be with her. "He kept telling me that, I was kind of like 'daddy's girl' https://www.aufeminin.com/", says Dylan Farrow, now 35. If these are details from the past, Mia Farrow has apparently stopped thinking about them since Dylan accuses his father of sexual assault.
To see also: Incest: How many victims, books and words will it take to assert the inability to consent for a child?
Even before Dylan's revelations during that terrible summer of 1992, Mia Farrow always had doubts about Woody Allen's behavior with their adopted daughter. Relatives of the family also evoke the possessive behavior of the director of Manathan with the child. If at the beginning, all thought of a game of cat and mouse between father and daughter, doubt gradually settled. Some even claiming that Dylan sometimes ran away from his father when he was around.
Women still demonized
Allen v Farrow also discusses the consequences of this case on the life of Mia Farrow. While she and Woody Allen are in the midst of divorce proceedings, the actress accuses her ex-partner of having sexually touched their daughter, Dylan. Woody Allen denies these accusations outright, thus countering Mia Farrow's claims that she is getting revenge for the relationship he now has with his other adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, from a previous union. Mia is then confined to the image of the bad mother, that of the deceived woman willing to do anything to destroy her ex-husband. Many media have suggested that young Dylan was coerced by her mother to reveal the sexual assault charges on camera.
To see also: Incest: on the hashtag #MeTooInceste, the shocking testimonies of the victims
Woody Allen manages to obtain this victim status when it is Dylan who is allegedly the victim of sexual assault. Her mother, Mia Farrow, suffers the consequences to this day. In the documentary, she claims to have struggled to find work after this affair, shooting a few films in Europe, but having given up on her career in Hollywood.
The pressure on the victim, then the guilt
What is most damning about this documentary is the way the main person affected by the case, the victim, is treated. Dylan was 7 years old at the time of the facts that she denounced for the first time. As her mother, Mia Farrow, believes her and fights for Woody Allen to be convicted, Dylan faces legal pressure. She is repeatedly asked to recount her father's deeds and actions during this afternoon in 1992. Dylan is tired of having to tell this story, her speech becomes more and more confused, she feels a form of intimidation… Result : Expert team investigating case raises inconsistencies in Dylan's statements and portrays her as a child "dreamer having trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality."
To see also: Incest: how to recognize it and help a victim?
The charges against Woody Allen are dropped by the federal prosecutor and the director will never have been convicted on the charges due to lack of trial. The procedures put in place in the investigation say a lot about the treatment of alleged victims of sexual assault. We question their words and bring unimaginable pressure on them while their trauma is unprecedented. While justice tries at all costs to uncover the truth, it fails to take care of the alleged victims, especially when they are very young.
The documentary Allen vs. Farrow is available on OCS as the #MeeToInceste wave shakes France. It is to be seen, to understand the systems of silence at work as well as the reversal of guilt when the victims begin to speak.