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Face2Face with David Peck
Louis Theroux and John Dower
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Louis, John and Face2Face host David Peck talk about
Synopsis
It’s an absurd truth about the Church of Scientology that one of the world’s most secretive organizations will step angrily out into public view when provoked.
This reactiveness is at the core of My Scientology Movie, the cheeky, acclaimed “reverse-investigative” documentary starring British broadcaster/journalist Louis Theroux and directed by John Dower.
With the world awash in “exposes” of the neo-religion created by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard – and total denials by the Church itself – My Scientology Movie uses reverse psychology to create a picture of the organization inadvertently painted by its own followers.
It starts with a not-unexpected refusal by the Church to cooperate with a documentary. It continues from there with a very public casting exercise by the filmmakers and former Scientology Marty Rathbun, for actors to play real-life figures like church leader David Miscavige and the church’s most famous follower Tom Cruise.
They then let gossip and paranoia do the rest, attracting the attention of Scientology’s lawyers, threats from church officials, harassment from “squirrel-busters” meeting them at random locations (at least one such incident went viral online) and phony “documentary crews” that followed Theroux, Dower and Rathbun around.
The result is a documentary that doubles down on the story of Scientology. It provides details of its dark side – including the infamous California “Gold Base” facility for wayward Church officials (visited in the movie) and a punishment area called The Hole. And it renders those revelations more plausible by the actual strange and aberrant behavior of followers.
“They behaved in ways that were so clearly pathological,” Theroux says of the counter-tactics he recorded. “You would expect them to understand that other people would see this behavior and conclude that this is a religion of lunatics.”
“This has always been a Holy Grail project to me,” he says. “I’m attracted to stories of people doing profoundly unusual things for explainable human reasons. Normally, I am invited into the worlds I visit. I had to make the decision to make this one anyway, and to lure them out.
“At the heart of it, this is a story about religious fundamentalism, which is a phenomenon that is front and center in our time.”
Biography
Louis Theroux is a British-American documentary filmmaker, and broadcaster. He is best known for his documentary series, including Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends, When Louis Met..., and his BBC Two specials. His career started in journalism and bears influences of notable writers in his family, such as his father Paul Theroux and brother Marcel. He works with the BBC producing his documentaries and television series. He has received two British Academy Television Awards and a Royal Television Society Television Award for his work.
John Dower is one of the Britain's leading documentary directors. His feature Thriller in Manila was in competition at Sundance, BAFTA and EMMY nominated, and won a Grierson and a Peabody Award. Bradley Wiggins – A Year In Yellow was also BAFTA nominated in the best director category. As well as his sporting films he has a keen eye for comedy. His music documentary Live Forever was described by The Guardian as, “Sublime … finds that the truth is stranger and funnier than the myths” and his latest theatrical feature My Scientology Movie praised by The Telegraph as “a giddy, Pythonesque delight”, with Variety calling it “riotously funny”.
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For more information about my podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit my site here.
With thanks to producer Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.
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610. Happiness, Buddhism & Living Well - Part 2
33:08||Ep. 610Part two of a Four Part Series on Happiness, Buddhism and Living WellMaster Hun Khemra, Noem Chunny and Face2Face host David Peck had four conversations about meditative mindsets, Buddhism, the East meeting the West, kindness, peace, happiness and contentment and its impact on all cultures and about how to live well. This is part one.Part 2 of a 4 Part SeriesThe Venerable Kassapa Hun Khamra, was drawn to the profound teachings of Buddhism at a young age when he embarked on a quest for spiritual understanding and enlightenment. His early years laid the groundwork for a life committed to the pursuit of inner peace and compassion.The Venerable Kassapa Hun Khamra is not only a practitioner but also a compassionate teacher, sharing the transformative power of Vipassana meditation with sincerity and humility. Through workshops, retreats, and personal guidance, he extends the reach of Buddhist teachings, inspiring others to embark on their own paths of self discovery and inner awakening. He believes in the importance of extending a helping hand to those in need, embodying the spirit of Buddhist teachings in actions that alleviate suffering and promote well-being in the community.Follow him on Facebook here.Noem Chhunny has over ten years of experience in leadership, group dynamics, public speaking, training. He prides himself on providing relevant and interactive learning forums where participants feel both comfortable to share yet challenged to question their existing assumptions. He adds-value to participants’ learning by weaving personal wellness and balance into every training program he offers. He has led Vipassana retreats/mindfulness at International Meditation Center, Chiang Mai for years, and has travelled around South Asia to share the Buddha’s teaching on human development. He was the co-founder of Small World Cambodia, and a former Co-Director of Possibilities World a training company delivering Leadership Development and Management solutions.Currently, he is a lead trainer at Impact Hub Phnom Penh. Founder and lead trainer at VIPASSA and co-author of a national bestselling book on meditation.Learn more about his work here: www.vipassa.comF2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.With thanks to Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.
609. Happiness, Buddhism & Living Well
37:30||Ep. 609Master Hun Khemra, Noem Chunny and Face2Face host David Peck had four conversations about meditative mindsets, Buddhism, the East meeting the West, kindness, peace, happiness and contentment and its impact on all cultures and about how to live well. This is part one.Part 1 of a 4 Part SeriesThe Venerable Kassapa Hun Khamra, was drawn to the profound teachings of Buddhism at a young age when he embarked on a quest for spiritual understanding and enlightenment. His early years laid the groundwork for a life committed to the pursuit of inner peace and compassion.The Venerable Kassapa Hun Khamra is not only a practitioner but also a compassionate teacher, sharing the transformative power of Vipassana meditation with sincerity and humility. Through workshops, retreats, and personal guidance, he extends the reach of Buddhist teachings, inspiring others to embark on their own paths of self discovery and inner awakening. He believes in the importance of extending a helping hand to those in need, embodying the spirit of Buddhist teachings in actions that alleviate suffering and promote well-being in the community.Follow him on Facebook here.Noem Chhunny has over ten years of experience in leadership, group dynamics, public speaking, training. He prides himself on providing relevant and interactive learning forums where participants feel both comfortable to share yet challenged to question their existing assumptions. He adds-value to participants’ learning by weaving personal wellness and balance into every training program he offers. He has led Vipassana retreats/mindfulness at International Meditation Center, Chiang Mai for years, and has travelled around South Asia to share the Buddha’s teaching on human development. He was the co-founder of Small World Cambodia, and a former Co-Director of Possibilities World a training company delivering Leadership Development and Management solutions.Currently, he is a lead trainer at Impact Hub Phnom Penh. Founder and lead trainer at VIPASSA and co-author of a national bestselling book on meditation.Learn more about his work here: www.vipassa.comF2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.With thanks to Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.
608. Propaganda, Poetry & Justice
39:28||Ep. 608Roman Liubyi and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film Iron Butterflies, cultural diplomacy, artistic interpretations, poetry, war crimes, human rights, justice, propaganda, and creating monuments on screen.TrailerSynopsis:On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over Eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. While worldwide shock was immediate, failure to lay categorical blame would only amplify the tragedy. Filmmaker Roman Liubyi meticulously presents the intercepted radio communications, uploaded videos, and irrefutable evidence of Russia’s guilt.But it is the film’s artful meditation on Russia’s incredible denials that powers its real indictment—by not immediately holding the guilty accountable and by allowing a Dutch court to provide the only international reprisal of the Russian state eight years later, the international community tacitly allowed the war in Ukraine to continue.From sombre dance sequences at the plane’s wreckage to a recurring vignette of a child’s hands playing with butterfly-shaped shrapnel, Liubyi sounds the alarm over what should have been the world’s wake-up call to a war that was already underway.About Roman:Roman Liubyi is a Ukrainian director, editor, and animator working in screen arts, theater, and music. His debut feature documentary, War Note, is a surrealist cinematic journey to the front line of Ukraine’s war with the Russian Federation, edited from found footage shot by Ukrainian soldiers in 2014. Since 2013, Liubyi has been a part of the Babylon’13: Cinema of Civil Society film collective.Image Copyright: Roman Liubyi and Babylon 13F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.With thanks to Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.
Andrew McCarthy, Success & Family
38:14|Andrew McCarthy and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new book Walking With Sam, fear, success and the 80’s, relationships and isolation, acting, travel and family, generosity, finding our way back home and why it’s so revealing and important to take one step at a time. More about Andrew here and the book is Available now!Photo credit: Jesse DittmarAbout the Book:An intimate, funny, and poignant travel memoir following New York Times bestselling author and actor Andrew McCarthy as he walks the Camino de Santiago with his son Sam.When Andrew McCarthy's eldest son began to take his first steps into adulthood, McCarthy found himself wishing time would slow down. Looking to create a more meaningful connection with Sam before he fled the nest, as well as recreate his own life-altering journey decades before, McCarthy decided the two of them should set out on a trek like few others: 500 miles across Spain's Camino de Santiago. Over the course of the journey, the pair traversed an unforgiving landscape, having more honest conversations in five weeks than they'd had in the preceding two decades. Discussions of divorce, the trauma of school, McCarthy's difficult relationship with his own father, fame, and Flaming Hot Cheetos threatened to either derail their relationship or cement it.Walking With Sam captures this intimate, candid and hopeful expedition as the father son duo travel across the country and towards one another.About Andrew:Andrew McCarthy is a director, an award-winning travel writer, and—of course—an actor. He made his professional début at 19 in Class, and has appeared in dozens of films, including such iconic movies as Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire, Less Than Zero, and cult favorites Weekend At Bernie’s and Mannequin. His memoir chronicling this time, BRAT: An ‘80s Story (order here), became a New York Times Bestseller in 2021.Andrew has directed nearly a hundred hours of television, including The Blacklist, Grace and Frankie, New Amsterdam, Orange is the New Black, and many others.For a dozen years Andrew served as an editor-at-large with National Geographic Traveler magazine. He has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Time, Travel+Leisure, Town & Country, Men’s Journal, Bon Appetit, and many others. He was named Travel Journalist of the Year by The Society of American Travel Writers, as well as serving as guest editor of the prestigious Best American Travel Writing anthology.Andrew is the author of a travel memoir, The Longest Way Home, Brat: An 80’s Story, and a Just Fly Away — all New York Times bestsellers. He lives inNew York.Image Copyright: Jesse DittmarF2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.With thanks to Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.
Family, Corruption & Justice
27:39|Robert Osbourne and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film Malcolm is Missing, tenacity and passionate commitment to a cause, justice and corruption, family and why sometimes pushing back against the system is necessary.TrailerWatch on CBC GemSynopsis:Malcom is Missing, from Canadian documentarians Robert Osborne and Jari Osborne, is an affecting and suspenseful portrait of a daughter who wouldn’t give up, and a corruption-riddled system of justice - a country where 100,000 people go missing every year and 95% of violent crimes are never solved. In between the moments of investigative discovery, Malcom is Missing paints a picture of a strained but loving family, a man-child of a father who left Brooke’s life early, but maintained a bond that compelled her to find out his fate. We see his odd collection of miniatures, including a mechanical “Curiosity Shop,” and gradually get a sense of a man who’s a curious combination of guarded and suspicious yet oddly naïve and trusting. "I am always amazed and inspired by how passionate and articulate so-called “ordinary” people can be,” says co-director Jari Osborne. “Brooke is no exception. In fact, in every way, I find Brooke remarkable--as is her story. Malcom is Missing is certainly a true crime thriller. But at its heart, beats the story of a brilliant, elusive--and flawed—father, and the daughter who would rescue him and find herself profoundly changed." On April 14, 2023, four-and-a-half years after he disappeared, Malcom’s killers were finally convicted in a Mexican court—Marcela, Martin and Andres each received sentences of 56 years.About Robert:Robert Osborne is the Senior Producer of Dam Builder Productions. He brings to the table more than 30 years of working in long format television. For much of that time he was an investigative journalist working for CTV, CBC and Global Television.In 2012 Robert changed course and began to work exclusively in the field of documentaries--combining his experience as a journalist with new expertise he acquired as a Director, Producer and Writer. The amalgamation of those skills have led to a pair of well-regarded investigative documentaries.Robert has won more than half a dozen RTNDA Awards, a CAJ Award and an Award of Merit from the Governor General. He has been nominated several times for Gemini awards and been part of a team that won two. In 2012 he was nominated for a CSA Award for Unlocking Alex. In 2018 he won a CSA for best writing in a documentary.Image Copyright: Robert Osbourne & Dambuilder Productions.F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.With thanks to Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.
Armageddon, Politics & Prophecy
43:13|Tonje Hessen Schei and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Praying For Armageddon, the power of persuasion, our addiction to certainty, hope, empire and power, fundamentalism, extremism and violence, and the power of the people.Watch the Trailer.Synopsis:Praying for Armageddon is a political thriller that reveals the power and influence of U.S. fundamentalist Evangelicals, as they aim to fulfill the Armageddon prophecy. With close quarters journalism, this feature documentary embeds with American believers who prepare for The Holy war and exposes how powerful megachurch pastors call for the 'final battle' that they believe will trigger the Second Coming of Christ. A deep dive into power and policy, this film unveils how politicians driven by faith embrace Israel as the key to their prophetic vision for the end of days. At any cost.Praying for Armageddon investigates the dangerous consequences of the fusion between Evangelical Christianity and American politics. Stark and gripping in approach, this film not only reveals how structures of fundamentalism weaken the very fabric of American democracy, but also highlights the devastating impact religion wields on U.S. foreign policy. Praying for Armageddon uncovers how the Evangelicals fuel the volatile situation in Israel and Palestine - ultimately escalating the spirals of violence in the Middle East. From the grassroots to megachurch empires and the dark backrooms in Washington D.C., this film goes inside a movement that ultimately aims to destroy our civilization.About Tonja:Tonje Hessen Schei is an award-winning documentary director who has worked with independent documentary since 1996. Her films mostly take on international issues that questions systems of power that shape our world. With political thrillers Tonje has investigated the CIAs drone war, the artificial intelligence revolution, and the consequences of the influence of Evangelical fundamentalists in the US.Tonje is the director of Praying for Armageddon, a political thriller on the fundamentalist U.S. Evangelical ́s power and influence as they work to speed up the end times and fulfill the Armageddon prophecy. She is also the director of iHUMAN, a political thriller from the inside of the AI revolution, which premiered at IDFA 2019, with sold-out theaters and a Doc Talk with Edward Snowden. iHUMAN won Best Norwegian Documentary at HUMAN International Documentary Film Festival, 2020. The film had special high level panel debates at the Berlinale and Cannes 2019 and has screened at the UN and EU.Tonje directed Drone, Play Again and Independent Intervention, which both won several international awards. The films have been screened on all continents in over 100 countries and are used by schools and universities globally.Image Copyright: UpNorth Films and Tonje Hessen Schei.F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.With thanks to Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.
Uganda, Trauma & Justice
31:54|Emil Langballe, Lukasz Konopa and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film Theatre of Violence, Christianity and conflict, radicalization,nature versus nurture, restorative justice, government oppression, and why retributive justice doesn’t work.Watch the trailer here and head to Hot Docs for more information.Synopsis:Can you be an executioner and a victim at the same time? At the age of 9, Ayena's client, Dominique Ongwen, became one of at least 20.000 children abducted by rebel leader Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda. Ongwen was brainwashed by Kony, who used a combination of Christianity, witchcraft and torture to turn the children into loyal LRA soldiers in the rebellion against president, Yoweri Museveni.Ongwen quickly learned that it was a matter of kill or be killed - and he rose to the rank of commander before one day surrendering to the authorities and the following prosecution in The Hague. He is charged with 70 different counts of crimes, including torture, rape and murder. But his defence lawyer, Ayena, wants him acquitted because he believes Ongwen is not responsible for the way his life turned out. In addition, the outcome of the trial threatens to reopen old wounds at home in Uganda seeing that Ongwen and the LRA are part of the Acholi people of northern Uganda, where Kony founded his brutal army in response to the equally brutal crackdown on the Acholi people by the incumbent president, Museveni. Personally, Ayena has a lot at stake. He must not only get justice for his client and his people - but also try to explain to the Western-based International Criminal Court what kind of country Uganda is, and what the potential consequences of the verdict might be.About Emil and Lukasz:Lukasz Konopa has a master’s degree in Documentary Film Directing from the UK’s National Film and Television School (NFTS) and an MA in sociology from the University of Warsaw, Poland.His documentaries have been featured at festivals, such as Hot Docs, Camerimage, Visions du Reel and SXSW. His film After won the CILECT Best Documentary film award, which is chosen by the association of the world’s major film and television schools. Currently splitting his time between Tel Aviv, where he works as a cinematographer on documentaries produced by one of Israel’s top production companies, Heymann Brothers Films; and Denmark where he has just completed his first feature length documentary with Made in Copenhagen.Emil Langballe graduated from UK's National Film and Television School in 2013. His graduation film Beach Boy was honoured at such film festivals as Karlovy Vary, Thessaloniki, Tampere and Hot Docs. The Wait premiered at IDFA. His latest films Q's Barbershop and A Married Couple both premiered in competition at CPH: DOX.Image Copyright: Emil Langballe, Lukasz Konopa & Dogwoof Films.F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.With thanks to Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.
Nintendo, Family & Pure Joy
28:24|Christian Einshøj and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film The Mountains, Super Nintendo, anxiety, depression, memory, family photography andtrauma, existentialism, expectations and the experience of pure joy.Watch the trailer here and head to Hot Docs for more information.'Synopsis:Two decades after the tragic death of his brother, the director Christian Einshøj's family is falling apart. But when his overworked CEO dad is unexpectedly let off anddecides to sell the family home, Christian goes back home in a final desperate attempt to assemble the family and recover what is lost.Armed with 30 years of home-video, 75,000 family photos and three tightly fit superhero costumes, he ventures into landscapes of long-lost time, in an attempt toconfront a 25-year-old tragedy, and the hidden wounds left in its wake. It's a story of fathers and sons, of vast collections of stamps and amateur videography, of longdistance business-class flights and all the other ways in which we flee, instead of talking about that which hurts – and of the redemption that can follow when thesilence is eventually breached.About Christian:Christian Einshøj is a self-taught director and film editor born in Denmark in 1985 but raised in a Norwegian suburb. His editing credits include Bodil and the award winning Q’s Barbershop.In 2018 his short doc Haunted was awarded Best International Short at HotDocs and went on to play at festivals around the world. The Mountains is his first feature film.Image Copyright and Credit: Christian Einshøj.F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.With thanks to Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.
Truth, Conspiracy & Lies
40:36|Lewis Cohen and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new show Truth and Lies, Conspiracies, Propaganda, the supposed Age of Reason, facts and Fake News, history and how it repeats itself and why we need to be on our guard.Watch the series here.Blurb:Since the dawn of civilization, people in power have played with the truth, danced with deception, and altered reality to suit their interests. Truth and Lies is an ambitious new TVO documentary series that explores the most dramatic present-day and historical examples of facts being bent, twisted and reshaped as a means of achieving influence and control.About Lewis:Lewis Cohen is an Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and director. His documentaries and television series have been broadcast in Canada, the US, UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Australia, South America and China. For the last two years, Lewis has been producing Fighting Words, a globe-trotting feature doc about three pioneering artists pushing back against political polarization. Prior to that, he was a showrunner at VICE, where he wrote, directed and produced 30 episodes of Vice Guide To Film for broadcast in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK; and The Beat, a 20-part doc series with unprecedented access to the police in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. His feature docs include, Lovesick, a Gemini Award winner, Best Arts Program, Jews and Money, an investigation into a kidnapping and murder in Paris. Lewis also wrote and directed the 13-part series Cirque Du Soleil: Fire Within, the 2003 Primetime Emmy winner for Outstanding Nonfiction Program and Gemini winner for Best Direction and Best Reality-based Series. It was Bravo’s highest-ever rated show at that time. Lewis is currently completing an autobiographical documentary investigating his obsessive relationship with his dog.Image Copyright and Credit: Lewis Cohen and TVO.F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.With thanks to Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.