Sons of Perdition (documentary)
Encyclopedia
Sons of Perdition is a full-length documentary
featuring a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of teenagers exiled from their families and community by Warren Jeffs
, self-proclaimed prophet
of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
(FLDS Church). Sons of Perdition premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival
in New York on April 24, 2010, having sold out at the box office within one hour from the time tickets went on sale.
is a term used by some Latter Day Saint denominations, including the FLDS Church, to describe former members who have apostacized from their religion and faith. The term is derogatory and intended to convey unholiness, sin
and "evil."
Within the FLDS Church in the border towns of Colorado City, Arizona
, and Hildale, Utah
, under the severe rule of prophet Warren Jeffs
, hundreds of teenage boys were exiled from their homes and families among the FLDS faithful for infractions such as wearing short-sleeved shirts, listening to music or talking to girls. Whether forced out by church leadership or a deliberate choice to escape the harsh environment, the exiled teenage boys were shunned by their famies and community. These "Lost Boys" were ill-equipped to manage life on the outside of the church as a result of their limited education and life-long insulation from the world apart from their polygamous community. Many of the youngsters turned to drugs or alcohol to cope with the traumatic separation; others found themselves in trouble with the law.
Directors Tyler Measom and Jennilynn Merten followed these Lost Boys for four years to bring to the film the personal perspective of the exiled boys. As described by one film reviewer:
Measom and Merten found the subject matter appealing in part because of their own experience of having abandoned the Mormon faith they grew up in.
, Utah, having left the dictates of Warren Jeffs and the FLDS Church, whose members resided in the Arizona–Utah twin cities of Colorado City
and Hildale
(known also as the Crick or Short Creek). The film also features Utah private investigator Sam Brower.
in 2008.
The Tribeca Film Festival was founded by actor-director Robert De Niro
. On the opening day of the 2010 festival, De Niro named Sons of Perdition as one of his favorites of the festival.
, founded in 2003 by the American Film Institute
and the Discovery Channel
, is a pre-eminent international documentary film festival held annually at the AFI Silver Theater in the Washington, D.C. area.
In 2010, Sons of Perdition was selected from more than two thousand submissions as one of eleven documentary films to compete at the festival's 2010 Sterling U.S. Feature Competition. Regarding the quality of documentary submissions in 2010, Silverdocs' artistic director, Sky Sitney, noted, "[W]e received more high-quality submissions than ever before, making it harder than ever to select the films for the 2010 program. This Festival slate represents the very best the documentary form has to offer."
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
featuring a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of teenagers exiled from their families and community by Warren Jeffs
Warren Jeffs
Warren Steed Jeffs was the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints . In 2011, Jeffs was convicted of two felony counts of child sexual assault....
, self-proclaimed prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is one of the largest Mormon fundamentalist denominations and one of the largest organizations in the United States whose members practice polygamy. The FLDS Church emerged in the early twentieth century when its founding members left...
(FLDS Church). Sons of Perdition premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
in New York on April 24, 2010, having sold out at the box office within one hour from the time tickets went on sale.
Background
"Sons of perdition"Son of perdition (Mormonism)
Son of perdition is a phrase used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and by Mormon fundamentalists to describe a person who will not take part in the glory of God in the afterlife...
is a term used by some Latter Day Saint denominations, including the FLDS Church, to describe former members who have apostacized from their religion and faith. The term is derogatory and intended to convey unholiness, sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
and "evil."
Within the FLDS Church in the border towns of Colorado City, Arizona
Colorado City, Arizona
Colorado City is a town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States, and is located in a region known as the Arizona Strip. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town was 4,607...
, and Hildale, Utah
Hildale, Utah
Hildale is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,726 at the 2010 census.Hildale is a twin city to the more well-known Colorado City, Arizona, both of which straddle the border between Utah and Arizona. Hildale is the headquarters of the Fundamentalist Church of...
, under the severe rule of prophet Warren Jeffs
Warren Jeffs
Warren Steed Jeffs was the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints . In 2011, Jeffs was convicted of two felony counts of child sexual assault....
, hundreds of teenage boys were exiled from their homes and families among the FLDS faithful for infractions such as wearing short-sleeved shirts, listening to music or talking to girls. Whether forced out by church leadership or a deliberate choice to escape the harsh environment, the exiled teenage boys were shunned by their famies and community. These "Lost Boys" were ill-equipped to manage life on the outside of the church as a result of their limited education and life-long insulation from the world apart from their polygamous community. Many of the youngsters turned to drugs or alcohol to cope with the traumatic separation; others found themselves in trouble with the law.
Directors Tyler Measom and Jennilynn Merten followed these Lost Boys for four years to bring to the film the personal perspective of the exiled boys. As described by one film reviewer:
Sons of Perdition's concentration on Joe, Bruce, and Sam—and, to a lesser extent, their exiled compatriots—is a shrewd one, allowing for a focused examination of the toll wrought by such an upbringing on teens undergoing the process of self-definition. Less a definitive historical account of American polygamy than a study of a very particular strain of post-traumatic stress disorder, Measom and Merten's doc is cautiously inspiring in its snapshot of independence blossoming amidst oppression, heartbreaking in its empathetic portrayal of lost young men permanently scarred by their elders, and infuriating in its clear-sighted depiction of the criminal and emotional horrors perpetrated in the service of religious psychosis.
Measom and Merten found the subject matter appealing in part because of their own experience of having abandoned the Mormon faith they grew up in.
Cast
The documentary features three teenage boys, Sam Zitting, Joseph Broadbent, and Bruce Barlow. At the time of filming, all three were living in St. GeorgeSt. George, Utah
St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...
, Utah, having left the dictates of Warren Jeffs and the FLDS Church, whose members resided in the Arizona–Utah twin cities of Colorado City
Colorado City, Arizona
Colorado City is a town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States, and is located in a region known as the Arizona Strip. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town was 4,607...
and Hildale
Hildale, Utah
Hildale is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,726 at the 2010 census.Hildale is a twin city to the more well-known Colorado City, Arizona, both of which straddle the border between Utah and Arizona. Hildale is the headquarters of the Fundamentalist Church of...
(known also as the Crick or Short Creek). The film also features Utah private investigator Sam Brower.
Tribeca Film Institute
The film received a grant from the Gucci Tribeca Documentary FundTribeca Film Institute
-Mission:The Tribeca Film Institute is a year-round non-profit arts organization founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in the wake of September 11, 2001...
in 2008.
Tribeca Film Festival 2010
On April 24, 2010 Sons of Perdition made its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere in New York, having been selected from more than 5,000 submissions from 38 countries.The Tribeca Film Festival was founded by actor-director Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
. On the opening day of the 2010 festival, De Niro named Sons of Perdition as one of his favorites of the festival.
Silverdocs Docmentary Festival 2010
The AFI-Discovery SilverDocs Documentary Film FestivalSilverdocs
AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival is an American international film festival created by the American Film Institute and Discovery Channel. It is held every year in Silver Spring, Maryland near Washington, D.C.. Started in 2003, the festival is held for eight days in June at...
, founded in 2003 by the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
and the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, is a pre-eminent international documentary film festival held annually at the AFI Silver Theater in the Washington, D.C. area.
In 2010, Sons of Perdition was selected from more than two thousand submissions as one of eleven documentary films to compete at the festival's 2010 Sterling U.S. Feature Competition. Regarding the quality of documentary submissions in 2010, Silverdocs' artistic director, Sky Sitney, noted, "[W]e received more high-quality submissions than ever before, making it harder than ever to select the films for the 2010 program. This Festival slate represents the very best the documentary form has to offer."
See also
- Apostate
- FLDS
- Lost boys (polygamy)
- Outer darknessOuter darknessIn Christianity, the outer darkness is a place referred to three times in the Gospel of Matthew into which a person may be "cast out", and where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth"...
- Son of perditionSon of perditionSon of perdition is a phrase that appears in the New Testament in the Gospel of John and in the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians . Many theologians and scholars also consider "the beast that goes into perdition" mentioned in Revelation and to be references to the "Son of Perdition."According...
- Warren JeffsWarren JeffsWarren Steed Jeffs was the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints . In 2011, Jeffs was convicted of two felony counts of child sexual assault....