Sons of Perdition
Synopsis
When the F.B.I. removed 401 children from Warren Jeff's Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints community in Texas in April 2008, a media firestorm erupted. For the first time, the American people got a glimpse inside a contemporary polygamist community. SONS OF PERDITION, which has been in production for the last three years, goes beyond this surface event and takes viewers deep inside the F.L.D.S' sister community in Colorado City, Utah. At the film's heart is the story of one of the more harrowing facts of life in F.L.D.S world — the expulsion of teenage boys from the cult so that they will not rival their male elders for the affection of the cult's young girls. More than just an exposé of this community, SONS OF PERDITION is a dramatic, character-based, coming-of-age story about kids expelled from the only world they have ever known and who must make their own way through the alien landscape of mainstream America.
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The Filmmakers
Tyler Measom Director/Producer
For the past ten years, Tyler has managed Left Turn Films where he has written, produced and directed nearly one hundred commercials, short documentaries and industrials for a wide range of national and international clients. He is the producer of the nationally released independent feature film TAKE, starring Minnie Driver. He has written and directed three short films that have played worldwide at over thirty film festivals.
Jennilyn Merten Director/Producer
Jennilyn Merten is a partner in Left Turn Films. She has produced, directed and edited commercials, industrials and mini-documentaries for a variety of corporate clients. She recently completed a short documentary titled TASTELESS. A PhD. Candidate in American Studies at the University of Utah, Jennilyn writes about 20th Century American culture, the West, and Film.
Festivals & Awards
Tribeca Film Festival
2010
Official Selection
Silverdocs Film Festival
2010
Telluride MountainFilm Festival
2010
IDFA
2010
Reviews
“A shining example of beautiful documentary filmmaking.”
-Austin Post
“An emotional roller coaster.”
-Filmmaker Magazine
“A penetrating, insightful and riveting documentary.”
-Huffington Post
Outreach
Sons of Perdition has partnered with Holding Out Help, a Utah based non-profit organization, to continue the efforts the film began: to bring awareness and support to those who have made the difficult decision to leave polygamy.
The women and children that leave the FLDS, or other polygamist communities, face a unique set of challenges. They need basic material items including housing, food, clothing, employment, phones and computers to get them set up in the mainstream world. But they also need work and life skills, and often, psychological counseling.