Escaping a Cult
Punk rock, B-movies, and Jehovah’s Witnesses unite in this heartfelt documentary. As members of Jehovah’s Witness start to explore culture outside of their religion, they have to wrestle with the possibility of being excommunicated from friends and family. Featuring in-depth interviews and extensive home video footage, Witness Underground tells the story of punk rocker Witnesses pushing against the highly controlling Jehovah’s Witnesses religion as they build their own community through music and art. This prolific community of Witness musicians create their own record label, Nuclear Gopher, and become early adopters of promoting their music through the internet, including what may have been the first album to ever be livestreamed. This community’s history is well documented through archival footage of their home movies and self-produced music videos, all with a very charming energy.
Director
Scott Homan
Siân Walmsley
Editor
Blackbird_me
2/13/2024
Such a great documentary! Definitely unique among the current rise of cult documentaries. A genius blend of vulnerability and creative expression. It's not just hearing the heartbreaking stories of these people, but also really getting to know who they are outside of their traumas. It's beautiful to watch them embrace their truth and their talents and to live for themselves. It's a must see!
