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23rd Oct 2018

Leonardo DiCaprio is making a documentary about one of the most horrific massacres in American history 

Paul Moore

This looks excellent

Forty years after the Jonestown massacre – one of the most horrific incidents in recent American history – a documentary co-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio will examine the notorious cult leader Jim Jones and his followers.

As you may know, in 1978, the mass murder-suicide of members of the California-based Peoples Temple cult at the behest of their charismatic but paranoid leader, Jim Jones, was one of the most notorious events in American history.

In fact, until the September 11 attacks, the tragedy in Jonestown on November 18, 1978 represented the largest number of American civilian casualties in a single non-natural event.

The death toll exceeded 900, including some 300 people that were aged 17 and under.

Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle charts the rise of Jones and The Peoples Temple cult, eventually showing how they came to be responsible for killing more than 900 people.

The documentary aims to create a picture of Jim Jones’ transformation from a charismatic preacher and champion of civil rights into an egomaniacal demagogue who led the biggest mass suicide in American history.

Based on the best-selling book by investigative journalist Jeff Guinn, and featuring archival footage – including secret FBI and CIA recordings, unreleased photographs and previously classified documents – Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle will attempt to provide the definitive account of a horrific event.

The show will begin airing on Sundance TV on Saturday, 17 November, and it will conclude the following night.

Fingers crossed we’ll see it on this side of the world soon afterwards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyEULVN8UU0

Clip via IndieWire