Daniel Kokotajlo’s Apostasy enters UK Top 15 box office films

by steve2 17 Replies latest jw friends

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  steve2

  Fantastic news just in: Daniel Kokotajlo’s film Apostasy about a JW family facing the blood issue and - ahem - a daughter who apostatises - was released late last week in the United Kingdom. Even though it received limited release in its first weekend and is going to be in more cinemas this weekend, it has entered the Top 15 films at No. 12 - a magnificent result for a highly acclaimed film made on a shoe string.

  Media are hailing the film as the best British movie in recent years, with superb performances by the three female leads. The actress who plays the JW mother is Siobhan Finnergan (who starred in Downton Abbey).

  I’m seeing it tomorrow at Wellington’s Reading Cinema at noon. Might see you there! 😜
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  smiddy3

  Great news ,I wonder if its going to get a cinema release here in Oz and where and when ?

  Or even a streaming release with one of the networks
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  LoveUniHateExams

  Good news!

  And here is Apostasy on rotten tomatoes ...

  https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/apostasy_2017
  
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  steve2

  amidst, Apostasy is featured in the film festivals of several countries. I would think that it will be in the Australian 2018 film festivals such as the international one held in Melbourne. It’s in st least three of New Zealand’s international film festivals. Depending on the public interest and attendance, it could return next year - or sooner - for general or limited release.
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  Giordano

  Steve2 Thank you for following up on this movie. The way to stop the WTBTS is to educate the public on how damaging it's Jehovah's Witness religion is.

  LoveUni thanks for the heads up re Rotten Tomatoes.
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  Beth Sarim

  This is great news on exposing the most harmful and controversial practises the Dubs employ. Wonderful.
  
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  caves

  Sorry to bust bubbles but this movie will never wake up people. LOL. keep dreaming. It will never be a hit. Thumbs down all you like but it will take hollywood with very well known actors and even then nadda.
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  steve2

  Caves, not sure what provoked your unusually negative comments. Who ever claimed the film would “wake people up”? That is not its point nor mine.

  For the untold numbers who have already left the organization or those still in who would leave were it not for family, the film will be cathartic and validating in and of itself. Not every post-JW endeavour is “designed” to wake people up. Ex-JW websites, for example, have a valuable role in offering support and opportunities for processing difficult experiences.

  On the topic of it never being a hit, no it won’t ever be a blockbuster. But again, who said it would? And yet, given it’s early limited release and the hugely positive reviews by media, there is tremendous interest in the film.

  I saw it in Wellington New Zealand yesterday at a small theatre during the International Film Festival and the audience exceeded 100 - which is not common for a small-budget independent film.

  The film itself is devastatingly note perfect. Anyone who comes from a JW background will be astonished at its detail and accuracy and, judging from the audience’s absolute quietness during the film, be spellbound by the storyline. I could not imagine anyone viewing this film being left unmoved and disturbed by its universal message of a mother’s love for her children and the difficult decision she has to make. Heart-breaking and, as the Guardian newspaper review said, “enraging”.
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  sparrowdown

  It's never one thing that wakes someone up anyway, it's many things big and small over a period of time that accumulate in the back of someones mind until a tipping point is reached. And yes it's often that one thing that is seen, heard or happens on top of the pile of other things that becomes the tipping point.

  I see the mindset of "don't bother this will never work " in exJWs to be one of the vestiges of our JW daze when anything that took away from from dub duties that required extended time or effort was ever worth it.

  This movie is interesting because more normies than JWs will see it and be educated on how culty JWs are.

  The public need to wake up to JWs as well.
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  steve2

  Well said, sparrowdown. 👏👏