Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

Jan 25, 2015

2h 0m

★ 7.6

Overview

GOING CLEAR intimately profiles eight former members of the Church of Scientology, shining a light on how they attract true believers and the things they do in the name of religion.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

Sky Atlantic

Jigsaw Productions

HBO Documentary Films

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief Trailers

Cast

Self - Interviewee

Paul Haggis

Self - Interviewee

Jason Beghe

Narrator (voice)

Alex Gibney

Self - Interviewee

Lawrence Wright

Sara Northrup (voice)

Sherry Stringfield

Self (archive footage)

Katie Holmes

Self (archive footage)

Nancy Cartwright

Self (archive footage)

Kirstie Alley

Self (archive footage)

Karen Black

Self (archive footage)

Jenna Elfman

Self (archive footage)

Isaac Hayes

Self (archive footage)

Kelly Preston

An inside look at Satanism from its origins to its victims. Shot on location in Richmond, Virginia, to San Francisco, California, this program will enlighten and inform. By becoming aware, you will be able to spot the danger signals. You'll hear historical facts regarding the beliefs of Satanists, and witness the mental pain as survivors of Satanic groups tell their tales of horror and abuse. Learn why the number 3 is so important in the worship of Satan.

3.0

Aliens from Spaceship Earth

Jan 1, 1977

While the aliens in this film may seem to be quite human, one must realize that we're dealing with close encounters of the fourth kind. An inner space journey triggered by the drug culture and rebellion of the 1960s, and the non-violent search for self that continues among people in today's culture. Could this be due to some influence from a higher spiritual consciousness? The world's alien leaders are well represented in this film: Baba Muktananda, Swami Satchidananda, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, Guru Maharaj Ji, Yoga Bhahan, Sri Sathya, Sai Baba, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Father Yod, Baba Ram Das, and well-known personalities who present their views on seeking their own terrestrial individuality.

4.5

Faces of Death

Nov 10, 1978

A collection of death scenes, ranging from TV-material to home-made super-8 movies. The common factor is death by some means.

1.5

Electronic Awakening

Jan 1, 2011

A documentary following the conscious evolution of electronic music culture and the spiritual movement that has awakened within.

6.0

Sous le soleil de Pialat

Oct 18, 2021

In just ten films, Maurice Pialat painfully rose to the top of the cinema, draining into his legend a mad demand for truth as much as memorable fury to achieve it. With "L'Enfance nue", his first feature film at the age of 43, the filmmaker immediately made his mark, this "art of making things authentic", according to Chabrol. But throughout an unclassifiable filmography in the form of an autobiography, from a break-up to his fatherhood in wonder, through the agony of his mother, the filmmaker does not get rid of the feeling of being misunderstood, despite international recognition.

5.9

A

Sep 9, 1998

Roughly chronological, from 3/96 to 11/96, with a coda in spring of 1997: inside compounds of Aum Shinrikyo, a Buddhist sect led by Shoko Asahara. (Members confessed to a murderous sarin attack in the Tokyo subway in 1995.) We see what they eat, where they sleep, and how they respond to media scrutiny, on-going trials, the shrinking of their fortunes, and the criticism of society. Central focus is placed on Hiroshi Araki, a young man who finds himself elevated to chief spokesman for Aum after its leaders are arrested. Araki faces extreme hostility from the Japanese public, who find it hard to believe that most followers of the cult had no idea of the attacks and even harder to understand why these followers remain devoted to the religion, if not the violence.

7.6

Metal: A Headbanger's Journey

Sep 14, 2005

The film discusses the traits and originators of some of metal's many subgenres, including the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, power metal, Nu metal, glam metal, thrash metal, black metal, and death metal. Dunn uses a family-tree-type flowchart to document some of the most popular metal subgenres. The film also explores various aspects of heavy metal culture.

0.0

Satanic Ritual Abuse and Secret Societies

Jan 23, 1995

David Carrico exposes the satanic nature of the secret societies, their influence in human history and the birth of United States.

8.2

Beside Bowie - The Mick Ronson Story

May 9, 2017

Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story is a documentary about the life and work of Michael "Mick" Ronson, the guitarist, songwriter, producer and arranger who, in the early part of his career, performed with David Bowie as one of the 'Spiders from Mars'.

7.8

The Hugo's Brain

Nov 27, 2012

The Hugo's Brain is a French documentary-drama about autism. The documentary crosses authentic autistic stories with a fiction story about the life of an autistic (Hugo), from childhood to adulthood, portraying his difficulties and his handicap.

7.8

STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie

Jan 20, 2023

A short kid from a Canadian army base becomes the international pop culture darling of the 1980s—only to find the course of his life altered by a stunning diagnosis. What happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease?

8.8

Finding The Golden Owl

May 2, 2025

The official solutions to the treasure hunt "On The Trail Of The Golden Owl" - the second longest treasure hunt ever organized - which has captivated thousands of researchers for over thirty years.

6.1

I Am Steve McQueen

Jun 24, 2014

A walk through the incredible personal and artistic history of legendary actor, race car driver and cultural icon Steve McQueen (1930-80).

7.0

Let's Get Lost

Sep 15, 1988

Documentary about jazz great Chet Baker that intercuts footage from the 1950s, when he was part of West Coast Cool, and from his last years. We see the young Baker, he of the beautiful face, in California and in Italy, where he appeared in at least one movie and at least one jail cell (for drug possession). And, we see the aged Baker, detached, indifferent, his face a ruin. Includes interviews with his children and ex-wife, women companions, and musicians.

7.5

Profils paysans : l'approche

May 9, 2001

The first of a documentary serie about rural France.

7.2

Profils paysans : le quotidien

Feb 23, 2005

Second documentary of a trilogy produced on the long term (together with Profils paysans: l'approche (2001) and Profils paysans: La vie moderne (2008)), showing the simple lives of farmers in contemporary Southern France.

8.0

Liberation Diaries

May 6, 2025

The end of World War II brings Europe a new political system, reshapes national and personal identities. Three women from Milan, Paris and Berlin report on the days of liberation in their diaries. Their personal stories expand the historical picture and make LIBERATION DIARIES a chronicle of female self-empowerment, resistance and resilience.

8.0

A Journey

May 29, 2017

A cinematic journey through the world. Non-verbal.

7.1

Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple

Apr 26, 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.

7.3

Waco: Madman or Messiah

Jan 28, 2018

Followers from around the world travel to Mount Carmel to hear the preaching of David Koresh, a local Texas working-class kid turned prophet of God and leader of the religious group The Branch Davidians.