thumbnail image
  • Witness Underground
  • Coming Out
  • Podcast
  • Blog
    • XJW COMING OUT - SERIES SIZZLE

      Accurate subtitles in:

      English - Deutsche - Español - Português - français - русский - Hmoob - lietuvių - čeština - Ελληνικά - ไทย - عربى، - Tiếng Việt - 日本語 - 中文繁體 - 中文简体

      thanks to our generous supporters.

    • https://ngpvault.bandcamp.com/

      Free music from the Nuclear Gopher archive

    • Join us on Patreon for more stories

      Watch and Support: Patreon.com/XJWdoc

      Filmocracy Fest update | Dec 12th 12:30pm | Boomtown Brewery

      Get Tickets for Streaming Dec 9th-12th: https://www.goelevent.com/Filmocracy/e/WitnessUnderground

      XJW - Alexei: Parenting & Atheism

      one minute teaser

      XJW Coming Out - Death & Baptism

      one minute teaser

      Witness Underground Teaser

      90 second teaser

    • Production Team

      The entire creative team are ex-Jehovah's Witnesses,

      including the musicians

      Check out the albums below

      Director

      Concept - Cameras - Cut

       

      I have been actively working on documentaries for about nine years and have had a life long passion working with cameras starting with a Canon AE-1 as a teen. Our photo and film departments in high school were on par with university. I've had incredible access to great equipment and creative freedom since I was 16.

       

      I was raised on the fringes of the Jehovah's Witness culture as my father joined the religion when he was about thirty and I was six. I was coerced into baptism as a teenager like most in the religion. I realized I didn't believe what the religion taught and left at 19 but got dragged back into it by my father and for family and cultural reasons. I gave this faith a proper go for a few more years in my early twenties, auxiliary pioneering as a part-time minister (50 hours per month), before and during university and well beyond any dedication my immediate family had made (grandparents, father and four siblings). After photography school I moved to Ecuador to see first hand how the religion operated internationally. That was truly a life changing experience and where I began to deeply question their methods of preaching abroad

       

      . Witnessing first hand how they operate in developing nations, in their terms, "Serving Where Need Is Greater," is what I've come to view as "cultural imperialism". They have a serious superiority complex and do not treat the locals with much respect for example: opting for a white 18 year old from England as elder over a local in his 30s or 40s who'd been knocking on doors in his childhood town for many years. Experiencing that first hand was ultimately what lead me to leave the religion...that of course on top of a long list of nonsense that they teach and use to manipulate and coerce members into compliance.

       

      After Ecuador I exited the religion permanently. I had made some close friends in the religion, many of whom have since come out as well. Together some of these creative people and I are working on this project to give a voice to silenced former Jehovah's Witnesses.

      Content Editor

      Video edit, Writing

      I was born into the religion and baptized young. In the decade since my exit, I’ve traveled extensively, learned eagerly and forged new relationships. I was inspired by the concept of the project and am excited to be part of the team!

      Ghost Army

      Ghost Army's fan page

      Minneapolis band with one ExJW member, Chad Rhiger.

      Some songs really hit close to home including, "Stay Away, Stand Firm, Grow Mighty

      Support them!

      Album: Sleepywood Dojo

      HighTV

      HighTV's fanpage

      A Minneapolis ExJW band, they are an essential part of the creative editing process and a huge support for our" XJW | Coming Out" documentary series as well as a highlight in our feature documentary, Witness Underground

      Support them!

      Album: Rick Brown Saved My Life

      Song: Magic of the Initiatory Act

      Ryan Sutter

      Ryan Sutter's bandcamp

      Ryan Sutter is a Minneapolis based artist. He's the key subject of Witness Underground and has been a huge ally in the creation of our film.

      Support him!

      Ryan Sutter on Spotify

      XJW

      More creative contributors:

      Eric Elvendahl, Cynthia Ivy Ann Elvendahl, Chad Stanley, Mitchel Vandenheuvel, Suzi Clark, Cassie Spicher, Ross Wilkins, Leah DeLaurentis, Soren Russell Carpenter, Ryan DuVal, Vincent Baumont, Nikolaj Svennivig, Linh Duong, Maria Myat Mo, Lourdes Andrea Villaverde, Matias Hidalgo, Jacques Wolf, Jon Dallas, Sian Walmsley, Kate O'Flaherty, Dung Nguyen, Thien Chip, Nicki Seminara, Chi Yen Le

      DScott Clark, Drew Carlson

      and many more.

       

      Thanks for all the help!

       

    • Screen Captures

      From the cutting room

    • Introductions

      TET SHOEBOX

      non-profit

      Chi organizes the non-profit helping empower those in poverty in Hanoi. Now she's off to France to attend a higher-level university. The religion forced her to decide between family and university OR the JW's.

      LGBT adopting German culture

      German safety net

      Soren made a new life in Munich, found chosen family and relies on the governments social system there rather than traditional family networks for support.

      Botany & Travel

      Obsession

      6% of JW's have a degree

      Ross went back to school to explore a life long fascination with the biosphere.

      Attending university is strictly discouraged by Jehovah's Witnesses.

    • Connect with us on social

      Send us your #ShunnedStories

    • Credit | Debit | PayPal

       

      Get your name in the BOOK OF LIFE

      Contribute one time or monthly

      100% of all contributions will go directly to the creation of XJW storytelling.

      This is good if you don't want to join Patreon or if you want to make a large contribution.

    Scott@BananaIslandFilms.com

    Copyright 2021

      Home
      Posts
      Contact
    All Posts
    ×
    Cookie Use
    We use cookies to ensure a smooth browsing experience. By continuing we assume you accept the use of cookies.
    Learn More