Harvey Weinstein. Bill Cosby. Donald Trump. We read these names and get a chill down our spine because of the terrible weight that comes with knowing their backstories — stories about abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. And there is one woman who has devoted her life to making sure that those names will always be associated with the damage they've (allegedly) caused: Gloria Allred.
A new documentary, Seeing Allred, is coming to Netflix and will tell her story. Seeing Allred will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and head to the streaming service soon after. It was directed by Roberta Grossman and Sophia Sartain, and will follow Allred as she pursues cases centred around sexual harassment and assault. It's a very topical subject, indeed. The documentary will even include up-to-minute footage, as her story is still unfolding. Trevor Groth of Sundance said to The Hollywood Reporter that "the filmmakers did notify us that they were going to continue shooting to add to the documentary as all of the allegations were breaking. So, there is a real sort of timely quality to that film."
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After all, Allred isn't just a lawyer, she's a cause unto herself. She's represented the kinds of cases that are made for media spectacle, but always from a firmly feminist angle. She's taken on Roman Polanski, Roy Moore, and the transphobic murders of Gwen Araujo.
She pursues these cases because they're big, and she knows that obtaining press is the quickest way to disseminate her feminist point of view. Allred's gift for media is often criticised as attention-seeking, and we're hoping that the documentary explores this strategy of her work. High-profile cases lead to high-profile changes, and for over 40 years, Allred has been leading that charge. It's time to learn more about the woman behind the headlines.