Overview
- Directed by Olivia Mokiejewski, the 55‑minute documentary airs on Arte at 22:40 on November 19, 2025, with streaming available on Arte.tv afterward.
- The program revisits how the initial scandal focused less on depictions of women than on family dynamics, Jewish identity, and the protagonist’s sexual fixation.
- Translator Josée Kamoun argues Roth showed a pattern of domination rather than hatred toward women and describes Portnoy’s Complaint as uncomfortable for women readers.
- The broadcast recalls longstanding critiques from figures such as Vivian Gornick and allegations detailed by Claire Bloom, situating the debate in decades of literary contention.
- Context includes Roth’s posthumous authorized biography by Blake Bailey, whose release was overshadowed by accusations against its author, further complicating the writer’s legacy.