|
|
 |
|
Getting Support : Speaking Out
movie on cog | from noah thomson - Monday, March 08, 2004
accessed 6863 times help needed Hey, my name is Noah Thomson and some of you may know me. I’m a former member of The Children of God and The Family. As some of you have heard I’ve been trying to make a documentary on The Family, specifically about those of us who were born into it. I assume if you are frequenting this site that you are no longer in the group like myself. I’m looking for help from our very small circle of people who have had the similar experience of being raised inside this group and are now making a life outside of it.
To make my documentary I need material that shows what life was like in the COG and The Family. I need copies of video tapes, writings from Berg, personal photographs, poems, letters… anything that I can possibly use to illustrate what our life was like inside and now. A picture of your home in a foreign country or America would be helpful. Video footage you made for David and Maria or drawings or letters you sent them. Any documentation made by you or someone else that you have would be helpful and literature in any language is great. I will place the highest value on your personal belongings because I know they are probably the only things you have from your childhood. I will pay to have them sent to me and I will send them back to you immediately after scanning or making copies of them. You can e-mail me at Noah@otherannouncements.com or call me at 323 899 3065.
After three years of work on this documentary I have just secured a ‘development deal’ with HBO to do a story on us. This will or will not become an actual movie based on how much stuff I can find to show what life was like for us in the group and now that we are out, so I really need your help. The main focus of my film is to show the obstacles we faced when we decided to leave the group and the ups and downs we now experience being out. The documentary is not really for or against The Family, but I do need to show our history.
Apparently 30,000 people have left The Family since it started and more than half of that number are kids like me. If you are one of these kids also then we are the only people in the world with a similar experience. Ironically, I have found that we all behave and treat each other like Family even without the group. I thank you in advance for your help and please know I will respect your experience and your belongings because it’s not far off from mine.
Noah Thomson |
|
|
|
|
Reader's comments on this article Add a new comment on this article |  from highonhigh
Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 07:46
(Agree/Disagree?)
I just heard that a great number of family members in South America recently left. Does any one knows if this is true? It will be good to get some details. Since Noah espent most of his life in SA & I think his mom still holds a position of leadership in Mexico he could get some interesting material for his show.
(reply to this comment)
| from lacy
Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 06:34
(Agree/Disagree?)
Does anyone know when this show is going to be airing?
(reply to this comment)
| from Jules
Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 05:46
(Agree/Disagree?)
FYI, here is an update on Noah's documentary:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=televisionNews&storyID=4934183§ion=news
(reply to this comment)
| from exister
Friday, March 12, 2004 - 19:55
(Agree/Disagree?)
I don't think I have a single posession that is more than 10 yrs old. I can't imagine why I would want to keep pics of me picking up rocks anyway...
(reply to this comment)
| from sarafina
Friday, March 12, 2004 - 19:46
(Agree/Disagree?)
We actually have boxes and boxes of pics that go back to 71 when my Dad first joined and then from every year of our life. pics and news letters from back when I was like two yrs old handing out pamphlets. We were lucky as we used to send all our pics in a box every year to out grandparents so when the "purge" came and we had to burn all out pics we still had all the boxes that we'd been sending home to our grandparents safe in the US. So we have pics of 1974 camping out on the beach w/ like 50 or more people holding hands in huge circles. The problem is I'm in San Diego and my parents are in Duluth ,MN we'd have to make copies next time we visit cause there's No way we'd chance loosing the pics beside there are just to many. We have slide shows also. Where exactly are you based out of. Oh maybe we could work out something I'm not sure it might take some time cause we also have home video's of living in the Nagoya school in Japan . One of my friends also has some of the dance for grandpa vids..lol Anyways I'd like to hear more about this project before sending a bunch of stuff.
On a funny note I even have a briefcase of all the different signs I had to wear while in homes and victor programs From "the wise old owl.." or "i speak as an oracle of god.." or "please don't speak to me cause you'll get a demerit if you do" Or my favorite 8"x11 one hung on my neck w/ just two words "SILENCE RESTRICTION" I'd just carry that one w/ me to each home to same them time having to make another...lol
(reply to this comment)
|  From Jules
Friday, March 12, 2004, 20:09
(Agree/Disagree?)
Oh sweet memories.
I was the second person in TF to be given a Silence Restriction sign (for talking to the first person). One of the reasons I was in so much trouble was for my "worldliness". Shockingly enough I wore my hair in a ponytail and thought flowers belonged in a vase, not on my head. When I was put on Silence Restriction I was also getting priceless Family training in flash card coloring. There were thousands of card photocopied for homes in Asia that had ordered them and we had to colour them in and be sure to stay in the lines. I stole the opportunity (and a few markers other than red) to make an accordion style sign for myself that I could fold out 10 different ways and color coordinate with my entire wardobe (of sarongs). No one ever noticed, which I guess was my point and also my most embarassing and also weirdly personal fashion statement ever.
Sadly, being a programmer has sort of cured me from my "worldiness". I guess since leaving I tend to focus on what makes me money. While I do care about changing my socks, wearing matching ones is a challenge some mornings. My mom would be so proud. (reply to this comment) |
| | From merrily
Monday, March 15, 2004, 09:08
(Agree/Disagree?)
I remember and noticed it at the time Jules, I didn't dare comment on it though as what could envoke a worse punnishment than a person on silence restriction talking to another person on silence restriction? I was always sad my sign was so "plain" although I ended up taping it with lines and lines of tape to keep it from getting wet in the mammoth dishwashing lines.(reply to this comment) |
| | From merrily
Monday, March 15, 2004, 09:07
(Agree/Disagree?)
I remember and noticed it at the time Jules, I didn't dare comment on it though as what could envoke a worse punnishment than a person on silence restriction talking to another person on silence restriction? I was always sad my sign was so "plain" altough I ended up taping it with lines and lines of tape to keep it from getting wet in the mammoth dishwashing lines.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | From Jules
Sunday, March 14, 2004, 02:41
(Agree/Disagree?)
Yes that's a common misconception. One day I will compile a list of Things People Think About Jules That Are Not True.
Not to be all Joe H. on you here, but the quotation marks should have been around "style". Quirky and special (though not in an Olympic way) is me, style however is so not my thing. Why do you think I live in Canada? (Hint: it's not for the weather. If I wanted a psychotic climate I would have stayed in the UK) (reply to this comment) |
| | | | | From Jules
Sunday, March 14, 2004, 02:55
(Agree/Disagree?)
Sadly the only pot for me these days is the iron one in my sink that is more in need of washing than smoking.
However the Canadark (the fifth season we have here in Canada, which was actually named by a select panel of Americans and Rick Mercer while he was talking to those Americans) is coming to a close. I am very happy about that because it is good for people to see the sun again and makes all of us Canadians a little more humorous. (reply to this comment) |
| | | | | from cyborcosmic
Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 06:26
(Agree/Disagree?)
Couldn't I just scan the pictures that I have on to my profile and then you can use them? I will look for pictures of the Belgium school since my parents amoung other families were the ones to start that home. We did only live there for a year or so until the family decided we had to move again. I remember my parents staying in a caravan parked behind it and we could only see them on parent nights.
I am sure I have various pictures of us performing plus a newspaper article of our family photographed as missionaries for COG. would that be useful?
(reply to this comment)
| from Question
Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 14:51
(Agree/Disagree?)
I'm confused: "after years of work on this DOCUMENTARY I have just secured a ‘development deal’ with HBO to do a story on us. This will or will not become an actual MOVIE" Which will it be, a documentary or a movie?
(reply to this comment)
| from Dani
Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 14:47
(Agree/Disagree?)
I was in France when the home was raided quite voliently. I don't know if you would want to use it, but I don't want my legal name used in the documentary and don't want to be on camera.
(reply to this comment)
| from
Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 11:18
(Agree/Disagree?)
I still have copies of true comix, Life with grandpa, Heaven's children, Teen training handbook, Heaven's girl etc.. I left before the purge. So if you haven't got them I'd be happy to make some photo copies...
(reply to this comment)
| From dean_winiarski
Saturday, May 15, 2004, 22:50
(Agree/Disagree?)
If you have these documents they are a very rare resource and historically important. I do work in anti-cult and doctrinal apologetics. I have a library of original-source texts from dangerous cults which I use in my work. Documents like these are a priceless resource. Would you consider either selling some of them or allowing me to scan them? I would be dedicated to preserving them and providing public access to the content for anti-cult purposes. Please email me if you can help.
-DW(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | from Albatross
Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 09:44
(Agree/Disagree?)
correct me if I'm wrong...but I think this is a doc, not a movie per se.
(reply to this comment)
| from a
Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 08:39
(Agree/Disagree?)
on the contrary, i wouldn't mind having a role in such a production
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | From Ne Oublie
Tuesday, March 09, 2004, 11:28
(Agree/Disagree?)
I have not made a secret of my identity. I use a pseudonym, but it is backed up by a profile with very real information.
Besides, what I was commenting on is NOT the use of a pseudonym, but the fact that this person used only a single letter to identify themself, and one which is not backed up by a profile. And they have done so while claiming to want to participate in a TV production without protecting their name - it IS rather ironic!
How about you? Can't you come up with a name of your own? Without 'borrowing' mine? Tsk, tsk!(reply to this comment) |
| | from Dani
Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 06:42
(Agree/Disagree?)
I'm sure a lot of people would be willing to give stories as long as you used actor and didn't mention any of our name. It's not something you'd what friends and employers and co-worker seeing. And how much are you willing to pay.
(reply to this comment)
| | | |
|
|
|
|
]
[About the Trailer Park] [Who Links Here]