Melee Erupts At Slamdance Documentary Screening
Filed under: Documentary, Distribution, Exhibition, Newsstand, Other Festivals
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At a Tuesday night Slamdance screening of the film "Children of God," a documentary on the cult of the same name, two members of the group were hustled out of a question and answer session when they started an impromptu protest and revealed that they were covertly recording the film for an unspecified purpose. A confrontation then followed that ended up in a tussle between the protesters and police on Main Street, in Park City. HBO is distributing the film in summer 2007, with documentary producers Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey. Variety reports that HBO insiders have confirmed they will not refrain from pursuing their legal rights if those individuals attempt to distribute the material or do anything to interfere with the film's release.
The film examines the cult, which supposedly began in 1968 in Huntington Beach, California and is variously known as Children of God, Family of Love and Family International. In recent years, the cult's practices of extreme liberal sexuality have led to several members being accused of various crimes involving young people. The cult leader, one Richard Rodriguez, committed suicide while this film was being made.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-25-2007 @ 1:37PM
Peter said...
The Variety article incorrectly stated that Mr. Rodriguez was the leader of the cult. He wasn't. This has been noted in a footnote to a copy of the article archive at http://www.xfamily.org/ which is a "a collaboratively edited encyclopedia about The Family/Children of God cult."
http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/Variety:_Slamdance_screening_ends_in_melee
"Rodriguez was never the leader of the cult. However, he was, according to Family publications, a divine prince, destined to lead the Children of God through the biblical end-time. "
Instead of leading the cult, he escaped from it in 2000 and in January 2005 murdered a woman, Angela Smith who was a close associate of his mother and had allegedly played a role in sexually abusing him when he was a toddler. He then killed himself but not before leaving behind a chilling nearly hour-long video in which he explained his actions.
see http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/Ricky_Rodriguez_video
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