Fear, Ridicule and Scientology: Documentary Representation in 'Going Clear' and 'My Scientology Movie'

With its celebrity devotees, sci-fi undertones and eccentric leaders, Scientology has always attracted scrutiny – so much so that in 2015, the mysterious religion was the subject of two separate documentaries. Rebekah Brammer looks at how the different approaches and filmic techniques employed in Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief and My Scientology Movie resulted in quite distinct takes on the topic, and what this can teach us about the power and diversity of documentary filmmaking.

Additional keywords: Teaching Media, senior secondary, narration, voiceover, reliability, cults, Tom Cruise, L Ron Hubbard, David Miscavige, Alex Gibney, Louis Theroux.