I’ve lengthy had a fascination with cults and the figures who lead them, and few instances are as disturbing because the Peoples Temple led by Jim Jones. Within the early Seventies, Jones and his followers established an remoted commune in Guyana often called Jonestown, a settlement that grew more and more insular and unsettling over time. Every thing got here to a horrific head on November 18, 1978, when U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan and 4 others have been murdered whereas trying to go away the compound. Within the aftermath, Jones coerced practically a thousand males, ladies, and kids into committing mass suicide, however up to date media now calls it what it actually was: mass homicide. Netflix has introduced a brand new three-part documentary about Jonestown, which can delve into the tragic occasions that occurred there.
Who’s Directing the Jonestown Docuseries?
The documentary sequence comes from Emmy-nominated director J.M. Harper (As We Communicate). It offers with “the events and ideas leading up to the Jonestown massacre, featuring never-before-seen archival materials along with interviews from dozens of survivors and former Peoples Temple members, many of whom have never before spoken publicly about their experiences. The documentary will also include firsthand accounts from Jim Jones’s son, Stephan Jones, bringing necessary perspective to a story that’s been misunderstood for decades.” The sequence doesn’t have a title or launch date at this level.
Extra Data on Jonestown
“In the 1970s, against a backdrop of political upheaval and national anxiety, a charismatic pastor and self-proclaimed ‘miracle worker’ named Jim Jones moved the headquarters of his nascent religious organization, Peoples Temple, to San Francisco,” reads the outline. “He billed it as a progressive, inclusive sanctuary for many who believed in racial equality, Christian teachings, and socialist ideology. Attracting a congregation of 1000’s of believers — the vast majority of whom have been Black People — Jones promised his flock security, belonging, and a path towards a extra simply world. In change, he demanded absolute loyalty. As media scrutiny and allegations of abuse mounted, he determined to maneuver the Peoples Temple to a rural space in Guyana, portray it as a utopian refuge from American racism and political violence. As a substitute, Jonestown turned the positioning of one of many deadliest mass murders in American historical past: Jones compelled his congregation, which included kids and elders, to ingest cyanide-laced punch below armed guard. The tragedy, which led to the loss of life of over 900 individuals — the biggest lack of American civilian lives previous to 9/11 — has been distorted as a ‘mass suicide,’ diminished by the cliché of ‘drinking the Kool-Aid.’“
Invoice Hader Is Engaged on a Jonestown Sequence for HBO
Earlier this 12 months, it was reported that Invoice Hader (Barry) and Daniel Zelman (Idiot’s Gold) have been writing a Jonestown sequence for HBO, with Hader being eyed to doubtlessly star within the present as effectively.
