One of Us

The opening shot sums up the story: Hasidic Jews, dressed in their best—the men with their distinctive hats and sidelocks, the women with white scarves and wigs, all dressed identically, as if we’re still in the 19th century—stand on the banks of the East River looking across at the enticing Manhattan skyline. But the gulf between this extremely isolated religious community and the secular world on the other side is far wider than the river can symbolize. We follow the story of three protagonists over several years as they struggle to leave the Hasidim and build a life in the secular world. They pay a high price to make the transition, plagued by threats, rejection, addiction and loneliness. “The Hasidic community is designed so you cannot leave." The makers of Jesus Camp (2006) previously exposed indoctrination by evangelical Christians. The Hasidim come off even worse.