A new documentary about Alanis Morissette called Jagged by director Alison Klayman is premiering at the Toronto Film Festival this week and has already caused quite a stir as Morissette herself is not due to attend. The documentary is set to include a series of lengthy interviews that Klayman conducted with Morisette in regards to her rise to stardom and her different experiences in that climb to her level of success today. In reference to Morissette’s inability to attend, Klayman told The Post: “Of course I wish Alanis could be there. It was a privilege to make this film and I’m really proud of it. Hopefully there will be other opportunities in the future for her to come to film events.”
Now however, there seems to be something deeper to Morissette’s absence from the premier. Allegedly, there have been rumors flying around that Alanis Morissette herself was not happy with the documentary, and is withdrawing her support in the form of her forthcoming absence. Pitchfork reach out to representative for Morissette and received the following statement:
“I agreed to participate in a piece about the celebration of Jagged Little Pill’s 25th anniversary, and was interviewed during a very vulnerable time (while in the midst of my third postpartum depression during lockdown). I was lulled into a false sense of security and their salacious agenda became apparent immediately upon my seeing the first cut of the film. This is when I knew our visions were in fact painfully diverged. This was not the story I agreed to tell. I sit here now experiencing the full impact of having trusted someone who did not warrant being trusted. I have chosen not to attend any event around this movie for two reasons: one is that I am on tour right now. The other is that, not unlike many “stories” and unauthorized biographies out there over the years, this one includes implications and facts that are simply not true. while there is beauty and some elements of accuracy in this/my story to be sure—I ultimately won’t be supporting someone else’s reductive take on a story much too nuanced for them to ever grasp or tell.”
The Washington Post has reported on the section of the documentary that Morissette may be referring to in her statement, in which she talks about her experience with sexual assault. As per the Post, Morissette says in the film, “It took me years in therapy to even admit there had been any kind of victimization on my part,” she says. “I would always say I was consenting, and then I’d be reminded like ‘Hey, you were 15, you’re not consenting at 15.’ Now I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, they’re all pedophiles. It’s all statutory rape.” The Post writer Steven Zeitchik then goes on to write “Who she is referring to remains unclear; Morissette does not name any of her alleged abusers. But she says she issued calls for help and implicates the music industry in not listening.”
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