4. Jesus Camp
Filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Richard Grady wade deep into the world of Christian indoctrination in Jesus Camp: an examination of the way in which young children engage in fiercely intense spiritual practices whilst residing at a Christian summer camp near North Dakota. The film focuses specifically on the experiences of three children attending one of these bases, and reveals how they are exposed to pastor preaching that vociferously condemns homosexuality and abortion. Camp leaders ask the children if they are willing to die for God if their time comes. The children think that they are. Jesus Camp features an abundance of unsettling scenes, including the sequence where child pastor Becky Fischer yells to her audience of youngsters: "Had it been in the Old Testament, Harry Potter would have been put to death. You don't make heroes out of warlocks". The camp children cry, scream, and are apparently so overcome with spiritual faith that they suffer palpitations and speak in tongues. Ewing and Grady observe all this with a neutral eye, but it's difficult not to be disturbed by the maddeningly intense practices that occur in Jesus Camp.