According to Alex Gibney, "Every step of the way, every distributor, every festival has received multiple threatening letters from the Church of Scientology. The film depicts the role played by celebrity members, such as Travolta and Tom Cruise, through video clips contrasting their statements with the experiences of former Scientologists. It also received a 2015 Peabody Award and won the award for Best Documentary Screenplay from the Writers Guild of America. [16], The initial theatrical release was deliberately small-scale, most likely undertaken to ensure that Going Clear met the eligibility criteria for an Oscar nomination. However, this was stalled due to potential legal problems. All the reason more to do it. Some have come very close to buckling." The religion has reportedly been associated with deaths, disappearances, and breakdowns — and more often than not, the organization has responded by trying … The religion has reportedly been associated with deaths, disappearances, and breakdowns — and more often than not, the organization has responded by trying to sweep the issues under the rug instead of fully explaining them. Posted on : September 21, 2020. He suggested that a sequel to Going Clear might be in the works: "There's a lot more material already that I've received, more to come out — and so far the IRS has not revoked its [tax-exemption] protection so there’s a lot more to be done.". Everyone else could see it. '"[46], Following the film's success at the Emmys, the church was reported to have mounted an aggressive campaign to deny it recognition at the Oscars. It was a major ratings success and by mid-April 2015 had attracted 5.5 million viewers, making it the second most-watched HBO documentary in the past decade. My Scientology Movie. [15] The audience gave Going Clear a standing ovation in an unusual occurrence for a Sundance presentation. [41] On December 1, the film was selected as one of 15 shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Have You Read The Aberree? The Truth About Drugs Film A powerful and comprehensive look into the true dangers of the most popular drugs, from marijuana, opioids and synthetic street drugs, to the addictive pharmaceuticals marketed with slick advertising campaigns and stocked inside medicine cabinets of the average American household. At the center of the Truth About Drugs educational program is a 100-minute documentary The Truth About Drugs: Real People, Real Stories, focusing on each of the 11 most commonly abused substances.. [32], Variety's chief film critic, Scott Foundas, praised the level of detail in Going Clear and called it a "powder-keg" documentary that illustrates "the dangers of blind faith. Due to continuing public demand, HBO announced in July 2015 that it would be releasing the film more widely from September 25 through the ArcLight Cinemas chain's theaters in California, Chicago, Washington D.C., New York City, Texas and a few other locations around the US. [2] Gibney saw Scientology as one of the toughest subjects he has had to tackle in his career as a documentarian, alongside government complicity in torture, corporate financial malfeasance, and clerical sexual abuse. "[5] The head of HBO Documentary Films, Sheila Nevins, commented that when she saw the advertisements she knew that Going Clear would be a big success: "Docs don’t get full page ads, and when they do, they do really well. "[28], The film eventually received a low-key release in June 2015 in 18 theaters in England and Scotland. The Sydney Film Festival was among those threatened but the screening of Going Clear went ahead; Gibney declared himself to be "delighted with the way the Australians handled it. The Truth about Scientology, in my View. I’ve done quite a bit of Scientology over the years. 28-Year-Old Fla. "[12][48], The church complained that Gibney had declined to interview 25 of its members whom it had put forward to him. Because Northern Ireland is not subject to the Defamation Act 2013, which reformed the libel laws in other parts of the UK, and because Sky cannot differentiate its signal between regions, the film may be subject to legal challenge in Northern Ireland. My Scientology Movie: Louis Theroux's exposé is the most damning yet. The site's consensus states: "Thoroughly disquieting but impossible to ignore, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief is a searing investigative work from a master documentarian. kijken met een streamingsdienst? That's the part that's really heartbreaking. Facebook Tweet. The film was nominated in the categories for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming, Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming, Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (single or multi-camera) and Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (single or multi-camera). "[6] Lesley Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter characterized it as an "impeccably assembled and argued film" that "represents a brave, timely intervention into debates around the organization that have been simmering for some time. [5], The church contacted film critics complaining that their reviews of Going Clear were "filled with bald faced lies" and demanding that the critics should publish a church statement rebutting the film. [47] Additionally, the church posted a series of short films on its website attacking the filmmakers and their interviewees, with titles such as "Alex Gibney Documentary 'Going Clear' Propaganda," "Marty Rathbun: A Violent Psychopath," "Mike Rinder: The Wife Beater," "Sara Goldberg: The Home Wrecker" and "Paul Haggis: The Hypocrite of Hollywood. Going Clear was released in a limited number of theaters on March 13, 2015, and aired on HBO on March 29, 2015. What is the truth about Scientology? The film premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. [7] Instead the church offered "a delegation of 25 unidentified individuals, presumably to smear the people in our film," which did not interest him. He commented that the church did not seem to realise that film critics do not usually try to interview people for reviews, and noted how neatly it "comports with the film's portrayal of the Church as a hive of shady, paranoid control freaks. But of course, that in itself provided him with a unique perspective and a view into one of the darker parts of Scientology – what happens when they don’t like you. The truth about Brad Pitt and scientology, on The truth about Brad Pitt and scientology. [45] Gibney subsequently said that he was grateful for the church's advertising, as it had attracted much publicity for the film; he only wished "they'd put in showtimes. On the side of the angels, you have L. Ron Hubbard, a prolific writer of speculative and historical fiction whose first name, and this is true, was "Lafayette. [29] By the start of October it had become Sky's most-watched documentary for three years, attracting a peak audience of 313,000 viewers and an average of 243,000 including catchup viewing. "[4] Sasha Bronner of the Huffington Post called the film a "shocking and eye-opening" work that would leave those who did not know much about Scientology "spellbound. [49] The church also denounced the film's interviewees as "the usual collection of obsessive, disgruntled former Church members kicked out as long as 30 years ago for malfeasance, who have a documented history of making up lies about the Church for money. But then, they don't seem terribly aware that attacking everyone who criticizes you doesn't do a lot of good for your image. But to others, including some former members, Scientology is a cult whose so-called doctrines are nothing more than ridiculous science-fiction stories invented by founder, L. Ron Hubbard. 'Titanic': Was Jack Dawson an Actual Passenger on the Real Titanic? When Louis Theroux (a really great documentarian, by the way) set out to film My Scientology Movie, he had hoped to get a little more access than he was actually able to get. But to others, including some former members, Scientology is a cult whose so-called doctrines are nothing more than ridiculous science-fiction stories invented by founder, L. Ron Hubbard. While "My Scientology Movie" provides a very entertaining tour of some of the questions that swirl around Scientology, viewers who’ve followed the story through the years will find little that’s new or unexpected. Part of what makes Scientology such a constant source of fixation, apart from the scandals, is the number of celebrities who swear by the practice; John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Elisabeth Moss, and Juliette Lewis are all Scientologists. [17][18], HBO broadcast the television première of Going Clear on March 29, 2015. Note to readers: Within several minutes of publishing This article on Scientology, they began an ad campiagn on the article against Leah Remini and our article. Scientology is not very well understood, but that is precisely what makes it so controversial. ‘Confronting A Serial Killer’ Docuseries Details Samuel Little, The Most Prolific Murderer In US History. Truth About Scientology [19] 5.5 million viewers were reported to have watched it within only two weeks of its TV première, making it the second most successful HBO documentary in the past decade after a 2013 film on the singer Beyoncé. Season One Administered to patients under the guise of curing mental health ailments, its victims and their families give harrowing accounts of living in its aftermath. [11] He commented that he "found it interesting that universally this subject — more than any other — provoked all the networks to decline to license. Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Case For Reasonable Doubt? [3], The film breaks into three distinct acts. Although Scientology claims to have millions of adherents and even, in a 2012 ad, said that it was gaining 4.4 million new people a year, the truth is that it has never had anything like those numbers. [20] Vimeo has acquired the US rights for online distribution from September 2015. [52] A few weeks after the film's TV première, Paul Haggis reported that a suspected Scientology spy posing as a reporter for Time had attempted to interview him in a possible attempt to obtain material to use against him; the Church denied the claim. [21], The film sold worldwide but was scheduled only for non-theatrical release in most countries. Truth About Scientology [Trevor Meldal-Johnsen, Patrick Lusey] on Amazon.com. "[22] However, Australian airline Qantas, which employs Scientologist John Travolta as an ambassador, was reported to have refused to show the film on its aircraft. Pitt was subjected to a bizarre procedure known as a “purification rundown,” which, when you look at the details, doesn’t sound all that pure. Former Scientologists reveal truth about Tom Cruise’s rant . But this, really, (you’re) thinking that makes you look good? [1] The première was so popular that even those with tickets were unable to find seats, because so many VIP pass-holders chose to watch the film, displacing ordinary festival-goers. Not only about this church of Scientology, which everybody's fascinated with partially because of the celebrities, but partially because of the way that the church seems to turn people to do things that I think they would normally never do if had they not entered the church. The truth about Brad Pitt and scientology. The Church of Scientology undertook an intensive campaign to block its release internationally. [58], Campaign against film interviewees and critics, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief, Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay, "Sundance Festival: Alex Gibney's Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear' Is a Hit", "Documentary Draws Ire From the Church of Scientology", "Alex Gibney, Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief", "Sundance 2015 review: Going Clear – Scientology film preaches to converted", "Sundance 2015: Scientology Documentary Draws Crush of Festgoers", "Sundance Film Review: 'Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief, "Sundance First Look: Oscar winner Alex Gibney pulls back curtain on Scientology", "Scientology Doc 'Going Clear' Claims the Church Split Up Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman", "Scientology doc 'Going Clear' shocks Sundance filmgoers", "HBO's Pending Scientology Documentary Investigates Church's Hold On Hollywood Stars", "Alex Gibney on Going Clear, His Scientology Documentary That's the Talk of Sundance", "The Challenges Of Making A Scientology Documentary, According To 'Going Clear' Director", "The horrible things a new documentary says about Tom Cruise and Scientology", "Scientology movie 'Going Clear' creates buzz at Sundance Film Festival", "HBO is putting their smash Scientology doc Going Clear back in theaters", "HBO to Re-release Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear' in Theaters", "Scientology Exposé 'Going Clear' Is HBO's Biggest Doc Premiere in Almost a Decade", "Going Clear on pace to be HBO's second-most-watched documentary", "Scientologists pressured Sydney Film Festival to ban film", Kontroversiel film om Scientology i 'DR2 Dokumania', going clear: scientology & the prison of belief, "Going Clear, il documentario sui segreti di Scientology - Video", "TV 'exposure' of Scientonlogy halted by UK & Irish libel law split", "Scientology Doc 'Going Clear' Draws 88,000 Overnight Viewers on U.K.'s Sky", "Scientology film Going Clear is Sky's most-watched documentary since 2012", "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief", "What Sundance Favorite Going Clear Tells Us About Scientology", "Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief", "Sundance So Far: More On The Juicy Scientology Doc Everyone Is Talking About", "Going Clear is a 'must-see' Scientology documentary", "SNL Finally Sends Up Scientology in the Sing-Along "Neurotology" Music Video", "Emmy nominations 2015: Complete list of nominees", "Creative Arts Emmys 2015: Full Winners List", "15 DOCUMENTARY FEATURES ADVANCE IN 2015 OSCAR® RACE", "2016 Writers Guild Awards Winners Announced", "Going Clear: Scientology and The Prison of Belief (HBO)", "Church of Scientology sets up online response to 'Going Clear' doc", "Here's the moment HBO knew its Scientology doc 'Going Clear' would be a huge hit", "Church of Scientology Representatives Now Bullying Film Critics", "Canadian ex-Scientologist Paul Haggis hopes 'Going Clear' is opening eyes", "Sundance: 'Going Clear' Creators Say Tom Cruise Should Speak Out Against Scientology's Abuses", "Investigator Admits Guilt in Hiring of a Hacker", "Hired Hacker Who Named Clients Now Fears Retaliation", "Prison Term Sought for Private Eye Who Hacked Email", "Private investigator snooped on e-mail of Scientology critics [Updated]", "Report: Scientology spy pretending to be a Time reporter tries to interview Paul Haggis", "Church of Scientology targets film critics over Going Clear documentary", "Oscar voters tell THR they have been targeted by the church as screenings prompt fights and police probe the mysterious apparent suicide of Jim Carrey's girlfriend", "Oscar Nominations: Scientology Doc 'Going Clear' Shut Out", Spotlight shines on controversial Scientology documentary, Alex Gibney and Lawrence Wright on the Challenges of Making 'Going Clear', 'Going Clear' Documentary Exposes The Church of Scientology: Sundance Short Cuts, Lawrence Wright and Alex Gibney on Scientology and 'Going Clear', Alex Gibney interview: journey into the seductive world of Scientology, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, George Harrison: Living in the Material World, Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Casino Jack and the United States of Money, Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream, The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, Church of Scientology editing on Wikipedia, Church of Scientology of California v. Armstrong, Church of Scientology International v. Fishman and Geertz. Brad Pitt dabbled with Scientology for about three years when he was introduced to the group by his then-girlfriend, Juliette Lewis, and went through a “purification rundown.” In the practice, people are often paired with a buddy, called a “twin,” for the duration of the rundown. "[13] Gibney, Wright, and the former Scientologists who appeared in the film told a post-screening question-and-answer session that they hoped the film would raise public awareness about the alleged abuses committed by the Church of Scientology, and would prompt the media and law enforcement agencies to investigate further. But it would be a mistake to dismiss its underlying technology as harmless or ineffective. The Rundown Truth: Scientology Changes Strategy in War with Media. "[34] Screen Daily's Anthony Kaufman felt that some of the re-enactments in the film were "heavy-handed or sensationalistic," but commended it overall as "a serious, strange and unsettling account of brainwashing, greed and gross misuses of power. Directed by Alex Gibney and produced by HBO, it is based on Lawrence Wright's book Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief (2013). Home » TV & Movies » The truth about Brad Pitt and scientology. "[33] Slate called the film "a stunning exposé of an organization and religion too long shrouded in mystery. Directed by Alex Gibney and produced by HBO, it is based on Lawrence Wright's book Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief (2013). I redesigned the … The film presents the facts: what makes a drug a drug, what each does to … He collaborated with Wright, who came on board as a producer, to explore the book's underlying theme of "how people become prisoners of faith in various ways". I'm an imperfect human being. [57] In January 2016, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the film and Gibney were reported to have been “snubbed” by Oscar voters and not included in the Best Documentary category of the 88th Academy Awards. Even worse than paying exorbitant amounts of money, Scientology requires its members to sign a contract promising to serve the faith for a billion … [23], The film was shown in Denmark on DR2 as Scientologys religiøse fængsel, on April 21, 2015,[24] in Sweden on SVT1 as Fångade av scientologin on May 19,[25] and by VPRO in the Netherlands on NPO 2 on May 19. [14], Going Clear made its world première on January 25, 2015, at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. "[35], Writing in The Guardian, Brian Moylan described Going Clear as "entertaining and dismaying viewing" in which "the story of Scientology, with all its strange players, emerges as comedy, rather than horror," but criticised its reliance on a small group of defectors and the lack of any involvement by the church. Interested in the early days of Scientology, Dianetics, Humanics, and Synergetics?Check out The Aberree, a decidedly unauthorized, explicitly non-serious journal from the 1950s and 1960s.. New Look; Same Data. The turning point for Pitt’s time in Scientology was during a “bull baiting” session, wherein the participant is basically verbally abused at length. Religious Technology Center v. Netcom On-Line Communication Services, Inc. Hubbard Association of Scientologists International, International Association of Scientologists, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, Association for Better Living and Education, Concerned Businessmen's Association of America, New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project, World Institute of Scientology Enterprises. Alex Gibney also received two nominations for Writing for Nonfiction Programming and Direction for Nonfiction Programming. te streamen. “No one wants a celebrity to leave,” Mallen explained. Scientology has been mired in controversy since the religion first sprouted from science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard's 1950 bestselling self-help … Michael Mallen, Pitt’s former Scientology supervisor, described it like this: “‘[a] coach’ tries to get the student to react by pushing the student’s ‘buttons. Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief is a 2015 documentary film about Scientology. The Truth—and Lies—About Scientology. [2], Fear of Scientology's litigiousness rendered American networks unwilling to license any material to the filmmakers, which Gibney found "astounding". Released August 8th, 2012, 'Scientology: The Science of Truth or the Art of Deception?' The two were dating at the time, and Lewis reportedly brought Pitt to the Scientology Celebrity Center in Portland. Pitt’s “twin,” according to The Sun, was a teenage girl who was “the daughter of an established Scientologist.” The buddies are responsible for helping each other through the process, which reportedly takes about a month and includes spending up to five hours per day in a sauna, in addition to high doses of vitamins and exercise. Jason Bailey of Flavorwire wrote that "pretty much every critic who wrote about Going Clear" received an email from Scientology spokesperson Karin Pouw. So you can absolutely publicize any of those. I had just read the book Dianetics and it was absolutely revolutionary to me. [40] Gibney praised the "courageous support" of HBO executives and the "courage of witnesses who stood up against ... the human rights abuses" of Scientology. It was subsequently released internationally, showing in theaters and on television despite a sustained campaign by the Church of Scientology to block its release. The movie happened to be a recruiting video for Sea Org, the Scientology army. [5] HBO had earlier said that it had put "probably 160 lawyers" onto the task of reviewing the film in anticipation of challenges from the notoriously litigious church. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. "[46], The church also published a "special report" attacking the film on one of its websites, started a new Twitter account which claimed to be "taking a resolute stand against the broadcasting and publishing of false information"[45] and bought numerous ads around Google search results relating to the film in order to direct searchers to its anti-Going Clear pages. And I've made many, many mistakes in my life. [54] The names of Saldarriaga's clients were not revealed and prosecutors declined to pursue action against anyone else, citing a lack of evidence. Teacher with Two Young Children Dies in ATV Accident: 'A Beautiful Soul', Bruce Willis Offers Response To Going Maskless In Drug Store, Coronation Street reveals first look at Ed Bailey's ruthless brother Ronnie as he crashes onto the street. [1] Gibney later called in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece for Scientology's tax exemption to be revoked in the light of the allegations of abuse documented in the film. The church's campaign included producing an anti-Gibney film and approaches to members of the Academy's documentary branch, responsible for selecting contenders for the awards. It helped me and contained all the answers I was looking for. [44], Ten days before the film's premiere, the Church of Scientology took out full-page advertisements in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times to denounce Going Clear,[2] comparing it to the story "A Rape on Campus" published by Rolling Stone magazine. It was the first time that HBO had tackled Scientology directly, though not the first time it had clashed with the church; in 1998, protesters mounted demonstrations outside HBO's headquarters because of a documentary that presented anti-depressant drugs, which are fiercely opposed by Scientology, in a positive light. I was young, troubled, unsure of myself and not at all sure what Scientology was. The Secrets of Scientology The Church of Scientology is a rich and vengeful religious cult, or as one critic puts it, "a cross between the Moonies and the Mafia." In the first, the former Scientologists describe how they joined Scientology; the second act recounts the history of Scientology and its founder L. Ron Hubbard; and in the final act, the film airs allegations of the abuse of church members and misconduct by its leadership, particularly David Miscavige, who is accused of intimidating, beating, imprisoning, and exploiting subordinates. [30], Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes collected 87 reviews as of September 24, 2015, of which 94% were positive. The Church of Scientology responded vehemently to the film, complaining to film critics about their reviews and denouncing the filmmakers and their interviewees. Scientology is not very well understood, but that is precisely what makes it so controversial. "[1], According to Gibney, the church mounted an "organized" and "brutal" response to the appearance of its former members in the film: "Some of them have had physical threats, people threatening to take their homes away, private investigators following them.