Drinking the Kool-Aid

The Tribeca Film Festival kicked off last night. Robyn and I went to the world premiere of Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple, a documentary about preacher Jim Jones and his formation of a congregation that ended with the mass "suicide" of 909 people in Guyana in 1978.

After the screening the director, editor, producer of the film answered questions, as did Jim Jones, Jr. This was a pretty powerful film. It contains some never-before-seen footage shot by an NBC news crew the night before and the day of the suicides. I was too young to remember/understand the event when it actually took place, and didn't know a CA congressman was also killed.

To write more about the film would ruin it for those who may see it. I don't think it will be released to theatres, but will be shown on PBS's American Experience next year.