Sons of Perdition

American teenagers Sam (17), Bruce (15) and Joe (17) recently fled the clutches of a fundamentalist Mormon sect close to Colorado City, Utah - leaving their sizable families behind to go to "hell." The boys have been adopted into a local community, taken in by other former members of the sect. In spite of their difficulties, the teenagers actively encourage other (often female) family members to flee as well, often without success. We follow them for two years as they try to build new lives for themselves, facing obstacles and setbacks along the way. Although these strong young men are confronted with adult problems that include bureaucratic matters and even dangerous situations, the child in them occasionally rises to the surface. "Dude, I miss my mom's soup so much!" Sam says. Nevertheless, he is delighted with his new life, in which he can "breathe air that nobody's already checked over." Their horrifying stories - and those of others who have previously fled the sect - are illustrated by portraits of sect members and their child brides, ruthlessly exposing their facade of happiness. Recordings of the gruesome fire-and-brimstone sermons of their former prophet, polygamist Warren Jeffs, provide a strong impression of what these brave teenagers have had to contend with. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)