I saw Chicago KNOCKING screening and discussion afterward with filmaker (page 2)

jgnat

An excellent review, OnTheWayOut. I'd encourage you to add your comments to the PBS Knocking forum when it re-opens on May 22.

http://discussions.pbs.org/viewforum.pbs?f=203

AlmostAtheist

OTWO, thanks for this. Very well done, and it sounds like you did a good job in your discussion afterward.

Dave

garybuss

Interesting thread OTWO, Thanks for the update.

OnTheWayOut

Before your report I had no interest in seeing it - as I perceived it as absolutely pro-JW.

I would have seen it on PBS, but I expected a fluff pro-JW piece.
Jeff, I never would have gone out of my way to see this if I hadn't read Garybuss' review.
Even then, I was ready to flame the filmmaker. If he tried to say that JW's fight for
personal rights, I would have said, "They fight for organizational rights, but take away
personal rights." Instead, his film said that JW's must sacrifice many personal freedoms.

I am not saying that you all should order the DVD, but it's a nice documentary. I have
no plans to buy it, because I don't need to see the extras. Much of it is on youtube. I am
only saying that it has some balance, and that people will still see what they want to see
in it. The most important thing, as I stated in the start of the thread, is that IMO, it won't
convert anybody to JW's.

Most people with no dealings with the JW's will find the blood policy odd, they will find the
family coping with that issue as strange and warped. They will find the section showing
actual field service to show religious fanatics. I think anything that causes people to talk
about JW's is bad for JW's.

undercover

Thanks for the review...

I haven't seen it yet but some of my JW family has and they seemed to be okay with it. They did comment that "they" got a couple of things "wrong" but its to be expected from an outsider who doesn't understand. I figured that the filmmaker probably did get it right, but the cognitive dissonance kept my JW family from admitting that the filmmaker might be making a valid point.

I did see the PBS program on Mormans and felt that is was fair and balanced. And as fair as it was, one can't help but see the Mormon religion as a bit on the cultish side. I have the feeling that the "Knocking" documentary will have the same effect on most viewers as regards the JW religion.

rebel8

Well kudos for tolerating the screening. I don't even know if I'll be able to watch it without suffering anxiety and nightmares afterward.

I have to say, I am shocked (and delighted) to hear it was not the propaganda piece it purports to be.

However, it will not change my course of action because the online study guide that accompanies this film is extremely inaccurate. The study guide certainly could recruit new members into the cult. The film maker deserves all the heat (and hopefully upcoming bad press) he gets over that well-crafted piece of propaganda.

jwfacts

Thanks for a great summary OTWO.

You really have put things into perspective. Since so many JWs are attending it is a great opportunity for ExJWs to have a discussion with them as a captive audience. You did well to keep your cool and not live up to the wacko apostate label. Who knows how many may now go away and want to do a bit more research.

OnTheWayOut

They did comment that "they" got a couple of things "wrong" but its to be expected from an outsider who doesn't understand.

While there may some technical terms that the film got slightly wrong, it really was good.
I can't think of a specific example of technical error, because I wasn't viewing it with that
critical goal. I do recall that there were a couple, though.

JW's that say something was wrong are probably focusing on things like "church" instead
of "Kingdom Hall" type of discussion. To be fair, it's the JW's who get hung up on such
errors. Most of the technical errors would still have been the comments of people in the
film, instead of the narrator's comments. Still, there must have been a few of those errors.
That always happens.

I remember cringing at some pro-JW comments, but being relieved when shortly afterward,
somebody disagreed. Again, some people will see what they want in this film. I lean toward
believing that rank-and-file can be good people serving a warped purpose. My take might
normalize the subjects in the film. Others won't see it that way, and I tried to say so.

This will continue to be a topic up until after JW's have their say-so. Joel says that the
WTS will not be promoting this film, but because of so many questions, they have a 24-hour
phone line dedicated to questions concerning the film. I don't have that number, I have no
interest in calling. If you don't see the film, try to see if it's available on PBS.org or view the
little pieces on youtube.

Junction-Guy

I will be glad to finally see this film when it airs, I have heard so much pro and con about it. What was this guys motivation for making this film?

I will have to see it myself to give my personal opinion of it, but I can tell you this, if there is at least any pro-jw thing about it, I will make my voice heard.

rebel8

"They did comment that 'they' got a couple of things 'wrong' but its to be expected from an outsider who doesn't understand."

It is hard for me to give him a pass on this because he did know about the inaccuracies well ahead of releasing the film. I personally contacted him and so did several others. His staff emailed us back saying they would look into the inaccuracies but he ultimately chose to produce the propaganda study guide anyway, knowing it contained falsehoods.

Their web site itself is very slanted too.

I saw Chicago KNOCKING screening and discussion afterward with filmaker

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