Ask me for some recommendations for documentaries, particularly ones featured on Netflix, and I’ll talk forever about my favorites. The “Social and Cultural Docs” genre has my name plastered all over it. I recently watched two documentaries having to do with religion. They were so interesting to me, and I learned a great deal of knowledge about two of the world’s most conservative religious sects and how they are so powerful.
Jesus Camp (2006) shows us the Kids on Fire School of Ministry held in Devils Lake, North Dakota run by Christian pastor Becky Fischer. Viewers get a peek inside the lives of Levi, Rachael, and Tory while they get ready to go off to camp and while they’re actually at camp. The children and their families identify as Evangelical Christians. These kids are all homeschooled, believe staunchly in creationism, are extremely pro-life, believe homosexuality is an abominable sin, deny concepts like global warming entirely, and even pray over a cardboard cutout of then-President George W. Bush at one point in the film. The doc features lots of worship at the camp, much of the time ending up with the children blabbering in tongues and falling to the floor screaming and crying, begging for Jesus to wash their sins away. There’s no marshmallow roasting going on there.
This documentary sparked huge discussion in audiences about whether the tactics used by the Kids on Fire camp were child abuse, as the children who attended this camp were truly children, no older than about age 12. Many viewers and critics believed that the camp was no simple Vacation Bible School; rather, it was a camp also teaching a severe, disturbing political agenda that used psychological methods and emotional torture to brainwash and traumatize these young, tender minds. You’d have to see the documentary yourself to see if you agree. As Pastor Becky Fischer says herself, these kids are “the army of God,” and they aim to teach their kids to “take America back for Christ.” In my opinion, there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with religion. However, many believe (myself included) that Kids on Fire and Becky Fischer take it way too far.
It’s clear that these kids were so sheltered from diversity and differences out in the world and had no concept of real, factual science or logical reasoning. It’s sad to me to think that from a very young age, these children were exposed to a very specific set of conservative values and uninformed opinions and that they have no idea what lives outside their little bubble. The actual camp was closed shortly after the release of the film due to the barrages of negative phone calls and letters received from angry viewers.
Any religious practice can be taken too far, and it’s also arguable that the more conservative a religious organization is, the easier it is for people to get away with abuse. I watched another documentary similar to Jesus Camp called One of Us. The documentaries were both created by the same filmmakers — Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady.
One of Us (2017) shows us the world of Hasidic Judaism, a highly-conservative denomination of the Jewish faith. Outside of Israel, New York City is home to the largest Hasidic population in the world. The Hasidic Jewish people featured in the movie speak Yiddish, dress similarly, and all the men have payot (long curls of hair framing the face). Hasidic Judaism preaches very traditional and strict gender roles for the family, which puts strenuous tension on the women specifically. The community is very tightly-knit and is socially isolated from the rest of society as well; it’s interesting to think that right outside their area is one of the most culturally diverse and progressive populations of humankind.
We see the lives of Etty, Ari, and Luzer who all have one thing in common: they all left or are trying to leave the Hasidic community and break free of their Hasidic identities. Etty is trying to escape an abusive marriage, Ari finds himself questioning everything about his faith and discovers he’s extremely unhappy, and Luzer left his family to go to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of being an actor. It’s not as easy as just picking up your things and leaving, as the tight-knit community, the legal battles, and the social repercussions are all factors that make leaving so difficult. These three individuals share what their lives were/are like being members of the Hasidic community, and they speak on the difficulties they face.
I’d like to emphasize yet again that I do not have anything against religion. I identify as somewhat religious myself. My opinion is just that religion can get dangerous really easily; the line that can get crossed is very thin. Religion is incredible because it is such a powerful force of human nature. I highly recommend these two docs because I guarantee you’ll learn so much about communities of people that you don’t see every day.
Always watching documentaries,
Annie
Images from:
http://kk.org/mt-files/truefilms-mt/archives/JesusCamp3.jpg
https://ourculturemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/netflxi-696×391.jpg
http://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/opening040_ed-copy.j…