On March 3, the Eastern Region Special Projects Committee’s Documentary Series screened Director Alex Gibney’s Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief at the DGA’s New York Theater.
Based on Lawrence Wright’s controversial book, the film knits together archive footage and testimonials from former high-ranking officials to reveal the inner workings of the church; explores allegations of the abuse of church members and misconduct by its current leadership; and highlights the role played by its high-powered celebrity members.
Following the screening, Gibney discussed the making and aftermath of Going Clear in a conversation moderated by Director Marc Levin (Freeway: Crack in the System).
Gibney’s films include We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks; Freakonomics; My Trip to Al-Qaeda; and the DGA Award-nominated films Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer and Taxi to the Dark Side. He has been a DGA member since 1998.