Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

Why are so many people attracted to Scientology? How did the infamous cult come about and how does this tax-exempt company function today? These are the questions that Alex Gibney, a filmmaker with a penchant for sticky issues, wants to get to the bottom of. Gibney interviewed eight former top-ranking Scientology members and helped himself to a plethora of meticulously researched archive material from the more than 60-year history of this Hollywood star magnet. He concentrates as much on the teachings of the sect’s dubious founding father, Ron Hubbard, as he does on the excesses of his successor, David Miscavige. Referring back to the book of the same name by Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright, Gibney’s GOING CLEAR is a comprehensive portrait of a highly manipulative organization.