Film & Documentaries

Editor’s note: Several of the completed documentaries discussed on this page appear on the Online Resources page.

Purple Haze Defines Jonestown as Turning Point in History, by Mary Anne Alton (2001)

A Miniseries Project, by Richmond Arquette
My Journey to Discover The Living Word of Peoples Temple (2016)
Researching Peoples Temple (2015)

A Film Project, by David A. Berdass
Finding The Scope of Peoples Temple (2010)
The Definitive Cinematic “Jonestown”…coming soon to a theater near you (2009)

Jonestown, A Film Project, by David Berget
Jonestown Through Cinema (2013)
Taking the Story in a New Direction (2012)

Jonestown: Behind the scenes at National Geographic Channel’s Seconds from Disasterby Sally Brindle (2011)

What I learned by filming a Jonestown survivor, by John Borowski (2017)

Making a Jonestown Documentary, by Thaddeus Bouska (2018)

An Interpretation of Jonestown, by Adeline Colangelo (2006)

British Documentary on Peoples Temple Begins Research, by Tom Deverell (2006)

Jonestown Documentaries on the Fortieth Anniversary: A Media Review, by Jason Dikes (2020)

Student Filmmaker Looks for Additional Interviews, by Jessica Distad (2004)

Living Inside the Film, by Sally el Hosaini (2017)

Screenplay Moves Jonestown Story to Neighboring Suriname

, by Matthew Emma (2016)

A Documentary on Lester Kinsolving, by Martin English
Challenging the Black-and-White: Researching a Peoples Temple Documentary (2012)
Misconceptions of Jonestown and Peoples Temple (2011)

True Crime Series Offers Compelling Look at Jim Jones, by Juan Garcia (2016)

Insights into Jonestown, by Frankie Glass (2013)

MGM Acquires Option to Road to Jonestown, DiCaprio Slated to Star as Jones, by Jeff Guinn (2023) NEW

A Film Project, by Christian Hartsock
A Filmmaker’s Odyssey into Jim Jones’ Heart of Darkness (2016)
Jonestown for Gen-Y: Reconstructing the Narrative (2014)

Australian Documentary to Examine Doomsday Cults, by Jack Hawke (2012)

Between the TV Screen and the Tragedy: A Memoir of Jonestown Research, by Robert P. Helms (2005)

History Channel Airs Jonestown Story (2002)

The Rectification of Jonestown, the Place, a reflection on her short film Hyacinth, by Lydia Moyer (2023) NEW

White Nights, Black Paradise, a film by Sikivu Hutchinson
Memory Thieves: Beyond the White Gaze of Jonestown (2017)
Black Women’s Film Confronts the Whitewashing of Jonestown (2016)

Temple Film to Focus on Stories of Vern Gosney and Larry Layton, by Benjello Jacob (2016)

British Filmmaker Looks Past Horror of Last Day, by Juno Jakob (2009)

Untitled Marshall Kilduff Project, a film by Jeffery Keilholtz
Feature Film Still In Development (2016)
Progress Continues On Marshall Kilduff Screenplay (2009)
American Prophet completed (2008)
Screenwriter to examine Peoples Temple through the eyes of a journalist (2007)

Paradise Lost (2006)
Articles by Greta Knutzen
Jonestown Docudrama Completes Shooting, Anticipates Release (2006)
A View from the Set, by Greta Knutzen (2006)
Review
Jonestown As I Know It, by Robert P. Helms (2007)

My Road to Jonestown, by H.D. Motyl (2006)

Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple, a Film by Stanley Nelson (2006)
Articles and Reflections by the Producers
Stanley Nelson Reflects on Lessons of Jonestown (2008)
Jonestown Documentary Wins Awards, Theatrical Release, by Sonya Childress (2006)
PBS Documentary Issues Call for Additional Temple Interviews & Resources, by Kristin Lesko (2005)
PBS Documentarian Begins Work on Peoples Temple Story by Noland Walker (2004)
Reviews
The First Real Film on Peoples Temple, by Lela Howard
Reliving the Love, Recalling the Pain of Temple Experience, by Laura Johnston Kohl
Film Creates Opportunity for Temple Member Reunions
Film Focuses on Religious, Not Political Side, of Peoples Temple, by Vernon Gosney
A Peoples Temple survivor remembers, by Garrett Lambrev
Jonestown Film Recalls Both Good and Bad of Peoples Temple, by Nell Smart
Supporting Preconceptions: A review of the Jonestown film, by David Parker Wise
Documentary Raises Issues for Future Films to Explore, by Michael Bellefountaine
Film Inspires Us to Considers Difficult Questions, by Rev. Richard A. Lawrence
Jonestown: Tough, Exhausting, and Important, by Susan M. White Hicks
Jonestown: The Reviews and Awards

Jonestown: A film concept, by Keanan O’Carroll (2010)

A Guyanese documentary project, by Rotimi Paul
Guyanese Documentary Filmmaker Seeks Interviews (2016)
Documentary Film to Depict Guyanese Perspective on Jonestown Tragedy (2015)

A documentary project, by Heidi Petty
Looking at a Documentary Project … A Year Later (2009)
Documentary Film Focuses on Peoples Temple Location in San Francisco (2008)

CNN Documentary To Air November 13, by James Polk (2008)

Documentary to Consider Life of Jackie Speier, by Michealene Cristini Risley (2006)

White Night, a film by Alex Smith
White Night Awaits Dawn of Completion (2013)
White Night: Survivors of Jonestown 2012 (2012)
White Night: Survivors of Jonestown (2011)
Filmmaker Explores Lives of Survivors in Fictional Work (2008)

The Life And Death Of A T.V. “Pilot”, by Chuck Smith (2007)

I believe in Jim Jones: A cinematic tribute to the people of Peoples Temple, by Susan Spaller (2010)

Witness To Jonestown: A Producer’s Notes, by Stephen Stept (2008)

French Documentary Explores Faith and Violence in Peoples Temples, by France Swimberge (2017)

The Shattered Glass of Jonestown, by Melissa Thrasher (2014)

After Jonestown, a documentary film project by Paul VanDeCarr
After Jonestown Production Closes (2005)
After Jonestown Update (2004)
Film Director Writes Open Letter to the Jonestown Community (2003)
Film to Document Aftermath of Jonestown (2002)
Film To Recall November 1978 (2001)

“I Believe in Jim Jones”, by Chase Voorhees (2011)

Strutters For Life, a documentary film project by Tommy “Fayzo” Washington
Medea Sirkas Documentary Strutters For Life Nears Completion (2013)
Medea Sirkas Documentary Film to Be Released in 2011 (2010)

The Making of California Eden, by Lotta Weber (2013)

Challenging the Inevitable Norm, by Remy Weber (2007)

Travel Documentary of Three Guianas Includes Jonestown, by David Whalen (2014)

A Documentary on Charles Garry, by Hrag Yedalian
Documentary on Temple Attorney Charles Garry Completed (2006)
Charles Garry Documentary Incorporates Jonestown Experience (2005)

Reviews of other works

Examinations of A&E’s Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre (2018)
Compromised Enablers, by Jason Dikes
Filling in Gaps in Jonestown Video with Re-Enactments, by Bonnie Yates
On the Use of Actors and Re-enactments in Documentaries, by Bonnie Yates
Cue the Kool-Aid: Watching Jonestown Docs in the ‘Fake News’ Era, by Rebecca Moore

The Guyana Tragedy Myth, by Jennifer Kathleen Gibbons (2010)

Jonestown as Sacrament (2014)
The Sacrament: Art Imitates Life, Part 665, by Matthew Thomas Farrell
Horror or Horrible: A Review of The Sacrament, by Katherine Hill

Horror Film Draws Upon “Cult” Tragedies: A Review of The Veil, by Fielding M. McGehee III (2016)

Film & TV Notes from the jonestown report

2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2011