Jesus Camp

A summer camp in North Dakota. The children are nine and ten, and the camp's purpose is to raise them as warriors in both faith and politics. Becky Fischer, the pastor who runs it, says so plainly; the children weep while praying, speak in tongues and learn anti-abortion slogans. The subject is not religion but childhood entangled with politics. There is no commentary; the team places the footage side by side and the viewer works out what to think. The only counter-voice is a radio host. The form is observational: the camera does not leave the camp, and the children's homes and families are filmed with the same plainness. The consequences went beyond the film. The camp closed because of the argument and the reaction that followed its release. In the same period a scandal broke around Ted Haggard, a pastor who appears briefly in it, and he left his position in the church. The film was nominated for the documentary Oscar. Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing directed. Who it is for: viewers curious about the American evangelical movement and observational documentary. Who it is not for: anyone expecting balanced presentation; the film gives almost no room to the other view and its selection of footage is decisive.