Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)

Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.

Director:

Stanley Nelson

Writers:

Marcia Smith (story), Marcia Smith (teleplay),

Stars:

Rebecca Moore, Janet Shular, Tim Carter

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rebecca Moore	...	Herself
Janet Shular	...	Herself
Tim Carter	...	Himself
Stanley Clayton	...	Himself
Hue Fortson Jr.	...	Himself
Garrett Lambrev	...	Himself
Claire Janaro	...	Herself
Neva Sly Hargrave	...	Herself
Deborah Layton	...	Herself
Phyllis Wilmore Zimmerman	...	Herself
Chuck Wilmore	...	Himself
John R. Hall	...	Himself
Tim Reiterman	...	Himself
June Cordell	...	Herself
Eugene Cordell	...	Himself

Storyline

Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.

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Plot Keywords:

preacher | suicide | mass suicide | guyana | black gospel tune | 

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Genres:

Documentary | History

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 April 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dödens tempel

Company Credits

Production Co:

Firelight Media Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Deborah Layton: Nobody joins a cult. Nobody joins something they think's gonna hurt them. You join a religious organization, you join a political movement, and you join with people that you *really like.*

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Connections

References Star Trek (1966)

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Soundtracks

"Welcome"
Performed by the People's Temple Choir

User Reviews

powerful

I saw this film Tuesday afternoon at the San Francisco International Film Festival and it was amazing. It had a running time of approx. 90 minutes but I'm not really sure because I couldn't take my eyes off of the screen. The film unfolds chronologically and covers the formative years of Jim Jones' life and the birth, rise and eventual demise of the People's Temple. The story is told through interviews with the surviving members of the People's Temple, their family members and the survivors of Congressman Leo Ryan's ill-fated trip to Guyana. The director of the film forces us to look at the People's Temple on it's own merits and set aside the preconceived notions we have regarding the "mass suicide" and the tired notion that the members of the church were cult members who enthusiastically drank cyanide laced kool-aid to ascend to heaven. The former members of the church come off as enlightened idealists who were searching for a life with meaning in a society that ignored them because of their poverty or the color of their skin and they found their champion in Jim Jones. This film doesn't ask questions and answer them; it provides you w/ information and you are forced to disseminate it yourself. We get to see Jones for what he was: a father, a political power broker, old time preacher, son of a dysfunctional family, molester, savior, integrationist and killer.The camera doesn't pass judgment on history it just records it. This documentary fills in the gaps of a story that we thought knew. The music, archival photos and film footage used are amazing. I would highly recommend this film to anyone who is interested in the subject. The documentary unfolds like a dream and takes you on ride through the history of the People's Temple, it grabs you and doesn't let go.