Don’t Worry. The Dark Forces Won’t Prevail.
I Stand With Dylan. Allen v. Farrow is an important documentary series with unyielding reports, facts, testimony and interviews to set the record straight.
The investigative filmmakers do a brilliant job of stitching together the pieces of a thirty year journey. It is often hard to watch, and insanely intimate, almost to the point of voyeurism. Yet, it is in this intimacy that the truth is laid bare. Home movies abound, capturing moments of pure magic and devastating clarity. It is in this intimacy that there can be no mistaking fact from fiction. It is in this intimacy that we discover the unrelenting depths that Woody Allen goes to, the power he wields, the PR machine he unleashes, and the pain and suffering of the Farrow family he leaves in his wake.
For decades, the he-said she-said narrative was bantered about. After all, there are always two sides, right? Dylan Farrow has stood up yet again, and I could hear her pleading, once and for all — You will hear me. This time I will hold nothing back, I will take you on the journey that has been my life for the past three decades. You will see a joyful child turn sullen, you will look into the eyes of a child lost and bewildered. You will see a family turned upside down, never to be the same. This time you will believe me.
It is all here for the world to see. And we must see it. We owe that to Dylan and all the other ‘Little Dylans’ everywhere. 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be a victim of child sexual abuse by the time they are 18 years old. Child sexual abuse is especially vile because the predators are often a loved and trusted family member or close friend. And yes, they can be smart, talented, charismatic, cunning and manipulative.
“I want to send this message to my little girl. Don’t worry, the dark forces will not prevail.”
— Woody Allen at a press conference in September 1993 responding to the decision not to prosecute
Let’s hope he is right this time. Every child deserves a childhood free from sexual abuse. There are dozens of survivors of child sexual abuse that are part of our Jane Doe No More Survivors Speak team, including Dylan. We stand united in solidarity with Dylan. To all victims of child sexual abuse — please know it is not your fault and we believe you. There are resources and a path forward. To everyone — please take a stand against sexual crimes. As we approach April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we invite you to join our movement. We are stronger together. Visit janedoenomore.org #IStandWithDylan @JaneDoeFilms
https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/allen-v-farrow
https://www.hbo.com/video/allen-v-farrow/videos/trailer
by Donna Palomba, March 2021
