Louis C.K. sent an email blast to fans on Friday to announce that the documentary “Check It” is available on his site.
C.K. wrote in the message that he discovered the film when he was invited to attend a screening with Steve Buscemi, who co-stars with the comedian in the web series “Horace and Pete” and is an executive producer on “Check It.”
“Check It” is directed by Toby Oppenheimer and Dana Flor, and it centers on a gay black street gang in Washington, D.C., comprised of young individuals who were living on the streets and formed the group to protect each other.
“Look, I know this isn’t what you’re expecting from me,” C.K. wrote. “Nor am I the guy you’re expecting to get this film from. I guess that’s why I’m doing this. When I saw this film, I knew that no one I know will ever see it.”
He continued, “Documentaries are MUCH harder to make than the things that I do and they are FAR more expensive to the filmmakers in terms of their time and their lives and their emotional energy. And nobody much watches them. … But what a great value there is in showing people films about something that just isn’t on their radar.”
The “Louie” star has previously shown an affinity for documentary filmmakers. He presented the Oscar for Best Documentary (Short Subject) in 2016, where he pointed out that the nominees in the category won’t attain the same level of wealth as many of the other people at the ceremony.
“This Oscar is going home in a Honda Civic,” he joked onstage.
Watch the trailer above.