I watched Holy Hell at Hot Docs in Toronto last night...bizarre and surreal for sure. In reading the other negative reviews just now, I'm not surprised by the lack of empathy for the filmmaker (Will Allen) - he tackled a very thorny subject. In a perfect world he could have shown both sides of the story including interviews with current members and well as the 'guru' himself.
Let's be clear, this is a personal journey documentary, one that encompasses over two decades of Wills' life. Cut him some slack. The archival video footage alone gives such a strong glimpse into the world he inhabited for not just for a weekend retreat, but for many years of his life. While it seemed that everyone involved was there on their own free will, the larger issue remains equally clear - they were under the influence of a very charismatic spiritual predator. It is a cautionary tale for anyone seeking guidance through the sticky realm of enlightenment.
Kudos to Will for the strength it took to revisit his past (both pleasant and painful) and his attempt to expose a fraud (somewhat unsuccessfully) who was such a powerful force from his young adult years to the very recent past.
A question I regret not asking Will during the Q&A is how it's never addressed if any ex-member is pursuing legal action against the leader? My guess is the 'free will' aspect puts their complaint under too much scrutiny.
Let's be clear, this is a personal journey documentary, one that encompasses over two decades of Wills' life. Cut him some slack. The archival video footage alone gives such a strong glimpse into the world he inhabited for not just for a weekend retreat, but for many years of his life. While it seemed that everyone involved was there on their own free will, the larger issue remains equally clear - they were under the influence of a very charismatic spiritual predator. It is a cautionary tale for anyone seeking guidance through the sticky realm of enlightenment.
Kudos to Will for the strength it took to revisit his past (both pleasant and painful) and his attempt to expose a fraud (somewhat unsuccessfully) who was such a powerful force from his young adult years to the very recent past.
A question I regret not asking Will during the Q&A is how it's never addressed if any ex-member is pursuing legal action against the leader? My guess is the 'free will' aspect puts their complaint under too much scrutiny.