From Louis C.K. to Jerusalem Day: New shows, movies to watch in Israel

The Israeli film channel on Cellcom TV and Yes will feature a program of movies set in the capital for Jerusalem Day on June 5, including Avi Nesher’s The Wonders, about a hipster cartoonist who helps a rabbi in hiding, and Emil Ben-Shimon’s The Women’s Balcony, about a group of Mizrahi women who rebel against their ultra-strict new rabbi.

Louis C.K. ‘Sorry/Not Sorry’ – Yes Docu, Hot 8, VOD

When I saw that there was a new documentary about Louis C.K., Sorry/Not Sorry, which was on the program at Docaviv, I thought – naively, perhaps – that this would be a look at the comedian’s life and career, as well as how he has made his way back from a sexual misconduct scandal that broke at the height of the #MeToo movement about seven years ago.

After all, Louis C.K. always had a persona in which he got laughs out of accentuating flaws, so anyone who saw his act or his television show Louie could not have been all that surprised by his bad behavior that led to the scandal, or the fact that he quickly owned up to it. 

But his fall from grace was precipitous and it made some people wake up to the dark side of the #MeToo movement: that alongside the justifiable prosecution of such predators as Harvey Weinstein, it also led to the downfall of many men whose behavior might be grounds for divorce but not for eternal banishment from the cultural landscape and polite society.

I’ve always been a big fan of the comedian, especially of his television series and his appearances on Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, a really funny show worth seeing if you can find it. It’s also true that there are few people who will not find some of Louis’ humor offensive. 

But this documentary, which was produced by The New York Times and directed by Cara Mones and Caroline Suh, focuses mainly on the women who accused the comedian of committing a sex act in front of them after asking their permission, which they consented to because he was a star and they were just starting out.

RIGHT NOW, it’s especially difficult to watch 90 minutes that detail how deeply many people in America still care about this issue in the wake of the October 7 massacre, in which Hamas terrorists committed mass rape: crimes that much of the world – including many organizations devoted to fighting violence against women – have either ignored or denied, despite the fact that Hamas terrorists recorded and broadcast many of their brutal acts. 

As comic Jen Kirkman, one of the women who spoke out against Louis, talks about how much his successful comeback hurts, she comments that it’s because “it seems like nobody cares” about what she and his other accusers went through. Yes, it does hurt when nobody cares.

Noam Dworman (full disclosure: He and I were in elementary school together) is the owner of the Comedy Cellar, a Manhattan club where Louis did a set less than a year after the scandal broke. “Everybody knows people who have done things they should be ashamed of – everybody,” he said. “Normally, in a moral world, we forgive the people who apologize and admit they did something wrong.”

Asked what his standards are for allowing someone to perform at his club, Dworman responded, “How long should somebody go without working? What should they do when they’re not working? Should they become wards of the state? Can they do some jobs but not other jobs? Is it OK for Walmart to hire Louis? Or is he so radioactive that nobody should hire him? These are the tough questions.”

The comedy club owner also makes the point that Louis likely won a Grammy in 2022 because it was a secret ballot and that many of those who voted for him would not have come out and publicly supported him. 

While there are clips of Louis in the documentary, he declined to be interviewed, which may have been a missed opportunity – because he clearly has a lot to say, but he prefers to say it on stage. In a performance at Madison Square Garden in 2023, he said he knows that “It isn’t easy being my fan these days. I know all of you have at least one person who doesn’t know you’re here.”

Sorry/Not Sorry will be shown on Yes Docu and Hot 8 on June 2, as well as on their VOD channels.

‘Hacks’ – Hot 3, Hot, and Yes VOD

The issue of being canceled is at the center of Hacks, which is showing on Hot 3 and Hot VOD, as well as on Yes VOD. It’s about Deborah (Jean Smart), a washed-up 70-year-old comedian who teams up with Ava (Hannah Einbinder), a 20-something comedy writer who was fired from the show she was working for after sending a politically incorrect tweet, and both are trying to make a comeback. I’ve seen most of the third season and while many shows run out of steam as they go on, Hacks is hitting its stride, and its entire ensemble is working together even better now. 

If you enjoyed GLOW, Minx, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, this is the show for you. Along with the laughs, it features some touching moments with the veteran comic explaining to the young woman what getting old really feels like, and Ava trying to convince Deborah that she really should reduce her carbon footprint.

Comedy Classics channel – Yes

Speaking of comedy, the Comedy Classics channel on Yes, which started out free, turned very quickly into a pay channel. It started with a limited roster of American sitcoms that I had hoped would be just the beginning, but they still have not added anything. While there are some fun ones, like All in the Family, Mad About You, Who’s the Boss and Cheers, there are quite a few more that I doubt people will pay extra to see, such as Benson and Married with Children. 

One thing I noticed while watching a few episodes of The Love Boat, a totally formulaic but well-made series, is how many of the guest stars went on to – or came from – bigger things. Catching just a few minutes here and there, I saw appearances by Billy Crystal, Kathy Bates, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Tom Hanks, as well as many old-time Hollywood stars such as Greer Garson – and, ironically, much of the cast of The Poseidon Adventure. Still, while it was enjoyable to spot future stars, very few will find a reason to up their monthly payment to catch these old episodes.

‘Wild City’ – Hot 8, Hot VOD, Docaviv

Wild City, a new film on Hot 8 being shown on June 5 at 9:15 p.m. and Hot VOD, which can also be seen at Docaviv, uses the issue of wild boars swarming into Haifa’s residential neighborhoods to paint a portrait of the place. The film, directed by Roni Avni, features a lot of footage showing dozens of boars and baby boars running around the city, but it’s not really about these creatures but about how humans react to them. 

It uses the diverse reactions to spotlight the character of Israel’s third largest city. Haifa is notable for its sheer physical beauty and its relative lack of tension among the people of different religions who live there. 

The documentary portrays those who want to learn to live side by side with the boars in a flattering light, while the residents who want the animals eliminated by any means necessary don’t come off so well. While I’d like to identify with the animal lovers, I’m not sure how chill I’d feel if 20 or so boars were lingering around the entrance to my building every day. However you feel about these animals, the movie is an interesting look at a city many of us often take for granted.