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life. It’s amazing and it’s really
interesting, too, because you see
Hubbard in a completely different
light. You also understand that
from the very beginning, what
he wanted out of Scientology
-- even though he came to be a
believer in the end -- was a way
to make a living without being
taxed.
What do you hope viewers
take away from this film?
I honestly hope that this is a helpful
film and that it gives comfort. It’s been
very powerful to be approached by
ex-Scientologists at screenings. People
have come up to us, saying, “This was so
important to us because we didn’t think
anybody was ever going to tell our story.”
That is to say -- how people had gotten lost
in the church and how they managed to
escape.
What about current members of
Scientology?
By charting the journey of these people,
I think we showed what smart people get
out of it. It’s something real. The goal in the
film is not to delegitimize
anybody’s belief, it’s to
question the way an
outfit like Scientology
can take the belief of
good-hearted people
and turn it in a very
sinister direction.
How did you first encounter
LawrenceWright’s book Going
Clear: Scientology, Hollywood
and the Prison of Belief?
ALEX GIBNEY: I’ve known
Larry since we worked together
on another film on HBO, My Trip
to Al Qaeda. We developed a good
working relationship and pledged to
find another project to work on together.
We talked during his reporting process and
eventually I read the book. I was terribly
impressed -- particularly by his interest in
learning what people got out of Scientology.
I thought that was a much more interesting
angle than doing an expose, which is what
had been done many times in the past.
How did you go about finding the former
members of Scientology featured in the
film?
Some of them were interviewed in the
book and Larry made introductions. It was
tough, because some were wary about
going on camera. It took a long period of
time to persuade them. I interviewed a lot of
people who didn’t make the film, so it was
an extended process. Ultimately, I decided
to focus the film around the stories of these
individuals and tell their stories -- and, in the
process, to tell part of the larger story of
Scientology.
What was your strategy for weaving the
pieces together?
We wanted to follow the story of these
people through the church -- what attracted
them to it, why they got involved, how they
lost their way and ultimately, how and why
they decided to leave. That actually imposed
a very complicated structure because we had
to keep each personal story going, even as
they intersected with the story of the church.
We were able to come up with a structure
that feels very personal even though you’re
getting a good idea of how the church works.
Were you concerned about being
attacked?
I felt that I had my eyes open going in; so
long as I was careful, everything would work
out.
How were the recollections of
[Scientology creator L. Ron Hubbard's ex-
wife] Sarah Northrup uncovered?
Larry touches on her life in his book, but
there’s a great deal more direct testimony
from her in the film. I can’t say exactly how
they were found, but I can tell you that they
were her late-in-life recollections about her
visit FEATURE DVD&BD
18 OCTOBER 2015
CULT STATUS
• Going Clear:
Scientology,
Hollywood and the
Prison of Belief
is out on
October 22
Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney
talks about arguably his most controversial project
to date Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood
andthe Prison of Belief.