TIFF 2023 | A new documentary reexamines the Louis CK scandal, 6 years later

A new documentary premiering in Toronto, where Louis C.K.’s downfall began, is delving into one of most debated #MeToo cases

Louis C.K. came to the Toronto International Film Festival six years ago with the hotly anticipated “I Love You, Daddy,” just as allegations of sexual misconduct against the comedian were gaining new prominence.

The movie sold at TIFF for $5 million, but before it could reach theaters, its premiere was canceled and its release scuttled. After years of rumors, a New York Times article in November that year detailed the allegations of several women who described incidents in which C.K. masturbated in front of female stand-up colleagues.

Now, a new documentary premiering in Toronto, where C.K.’s downfall began, is delving into one of the most debated #MeToo cases. “Sorry/Not Sorry,” directed by Caroline Suh and Cara Mones and produced by the Times, examines the allegations, the fallout for those who came forward and C.K.’s comeback in comedy.

“In the early years, the advice I was given was: Don’t make this movie,” says Suh, who directed the Barack Obama-narrated docuseries “Working: What We Do All Day.”

Suh, herself, was a big fan of Louis C.K. and she didn’t immediately register the allegations against the comedian as damning — especially in comparison to other #MeToo cases like Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby.

“Honestly, my first reaction was: Is it that bad?” Suh recalls.

“Sorry/Not Sorry,” which was acquired by Greenwich Entertainment for distribution after its TIFF premiere, reexamines the scandal and its aftermath, particularly in light of C.K.’s thriving comeback. The comic, who acknowledged “these stories are true” in his 2017 apology, won a Grammy for best comedy album last year and in January sold out Madison Square Garden.