The allegations against Harvey Weinstein were first brought to light in 2017, in a New York Times article detailing decades of accusations of sexual assault. Two years later, as the disgraced Hollywood mogul prepares to go on trial, the BBC is releasing a 90-minute documentary about the story that sparked the worldwide #MeToo movement, and we guarantee it’s the most important thing you’ll watch this year.
Through candid, in-depth interviews with Weinstein’s victims and his former industry colleagues, this immensely troubling feature-length documentary chronicles the rise and fall of the world’s most powerful film producer, and his ruthless attempts to assert dominance over young, ambitious women in the entertainment industry.
The film, created by the award-winning producers of Searching For Sugar Man, encompasses Harvey’s early career as a music promoter in Buffalo, New York, and the founding of his film empire, Miramax. At the time, working at Miramax was considered the most desirable job in town, with unbelievable film opportunities and a glamorous lifestyle of private jets, extravagant dinners and A-list parties. As his former assistant Kathy Declesis states: “We were the shit then and it was great”.
Behind the scenes, Harvey was using his growing influence in the entertainment industry to exploit women’s dreams through violence, sexual abuse and manipulation. He regularly promised to advance women’s careers, or threatened to destroy them, as a way to encourage terrified young women to engage in sexual acts.
At the time, his power was so profound that he was able to silence those he’d abused through threats and huge payouts. In one instance explored in the documentary, Harvey paid an abused employee $250,000 to sign a non-disclosure agreement that prevented her from ever discussing the incident, including with a therapist.
Many of the women who came forward to accuse Weinstein of sexual assault, including Erika Rosenbaum, Paz De La Huerta and Louise Godbold, tell their testimonies on camera, several for the first time. His former Miramax employee Zelda Perkins described Harvey’s constant advances as “mentally exhausting” and a constant battle to “keep your head above water”.
At the heart of the documentary is the important question of whether the powerful are truly beyond justice, and whether meaningful change really is possible. As Paz De La Huerta states, “It’s not over, it continues.”
If you only watch one thing this weekend, make it this mind-blowing documentary.
Untouchable: The Rise and Fall of Harvey Weinstein, Sunday 1st September at 9pm on BBC Two
