a-B-C-D-e-F-G-H-i-JONESTOWN
genre / a time-lapse children's film
director / Jan Bušta
A time-lapse children's film about the largest mass suicide in the modern history.
A never-ending flow of words coming from the fanatical leader of the sect culminates in the drinking of poison. A thousand faithful commit ritual suicide, the biggest in modern times. These dramatic moments in 1978 were caught on tape which bore witness to the event. On that basis a film experiment came to pass in which the sect members are represented by children and their leader is a young boy transformed in front of the camera into a seven years older version of himself.
In his debut film, Jan Bušta presents an electrifying experience of demagogy and manipulation ´in a live broadcast´.
a-B-C-D-e-F-G-H-i-JONESTOWN was awarded in IDFF Jihlava 2022. This film is also a cinephile tribute to film experiment milestones, ‘demagogically manipulating’ with all elements of film narration and the audience's expectations. The original reconstruction of a true event brings fresh yet radical statements about self-appointed leaders and their trusting victims.