NOTE: This piece was originally published at our Substack newsletter A Public Witness.
British politician and filmmaker Beeban Kidron once explained about documentary filmmaking, “The thing about documentary is that you don’t really choose your subjects; they come and grab you out of your bed.” That line does seem to explain some new programs.
Three recent documentary projects give us insights beyond the headlines to help understand our current religious and political moment. So if you find yourself wanting to stay inside and watch something during the August heat or just hoping to learn a bit during this back-to-school time, this issue of A Public Witness recommends two films and one miniseries exploring important issues of Christian Nationalism and religious abuse.
Apocalypse in the Tropics
A violent mob, full of people who refused to believe their presidential candidate lost, stormed their nation’s capital while carrying Christian symbols. But this time it wasn’t in Washington, D.C., in 2021. Brazil experienced its own unsuccessful insurrection on Jan. 8, 2023, thanks to supporters of rightwing former President Jair Bolsonaro. A Public Witness was the first publication to document the Christian Nationalism that helped fuel the attack on government buildings in Brasília. Now, a documentary goes much deeper.
Apocalypse in the Tropics, which was released in the U.S. last month, helps tell the backstory with footage and interviews exploring the rise of the evangelical and Pentecostal movements in the years leading up to the 2023 insurrection. Created by Academy Award-nominated Brazilian filmmaker Petra Costa, it’s a well-crafted and highly informative look at the religious-political environment in Brazil that in many ways mirrors the Christian Nationalism also plaguing the United States.
Apocalypse in the Tropics runs 1 hour and 50 minutes and is available on Netflix. Here’s the trailer:
Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War
The show Shiny Happy People is back for a second season. It premiered in 2023 with four episodes exploring “Duggar Family Secrets.” With interviews from some Duggar family members and friends, it unpacked controversies about the 19 Kids and Counting family and the Christian theology the parents have been wrapped up in. Now, a second season, which released last month, explores the dark world of Ron Luce and Teen Mania Ministries.
As one who grew up in an evangelical church in the 1990s, there were a lot of familiar people, songs, and statements in this season even though I never really got involved with a Teen Mania event or program. As the show unpacks, the ministry started out with some red flags but then got even more intense and abusive in the early 2000s. Along the way, the show interviews people to help make sense of this, including Jeff Sharlet, Sarah McCammon, April Ajoy, and two children of Ray Boltz. The show warns of the dangers of abusive faith and leaders, and it shows the trauma people can experience for decades later.
Each of the three episodes of season two run about 50 minutes and are available on Amazon. Here’s the trailer:
A Faith Under Siege
The team behind this film is more conservative and evangelical than the other two projects, but they still created a powerful warning about a violent, nationalistic version of Christianity. This film documents how Russia is killing Christians in Ukraine, bombing churches, and torturing pastors. The American narrators use rhetoric that’s a bit more evangelical and militant than I would, but that’s probably part of why the film’s had success in getting played in conservative circles — like at the Museum of the Bible and on CBN— that really need this message to counter influential pro-Russian voices.
The Christian Nationalistic marriage between Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church has led to persecution of many Christians in Russia and the blessing of the invasion of Ukraine. And some Christian Nationalists in the U.S. want to roll out the red carpet for the oppressor, calling evil “good.” This film counters that funhouse mirror distortion.
A Faith Under Siege runs 59 minutes and is available to available to watch free on YouTube. Here is the trailer:
Each of these three documentary projects is well made and includes important voices addressing critical issues of historical and present concern. They offer warnings about the dangers of Christian Nationalism and the threat of religion used to justify abuse and violence. And if you need more things to watch, check out my piece last year recommending four films on Christian Nationalism and patriarchy that are unfortunately still timely.
As a public witness,
Brian Kaylor
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