12 September 2009

The Peoples Temple

My new course year is jam packed with some great classes. One of them; contemporary history !
I'm absolutely loving it. So in light of the research that I have eagerly started for my big report, here is one of the most amazing discoveries I have done lately.

It's the tale of Jim Jones who in the 60ies managed to catch the spur of the moment and the excitement about socialism and equality to start his own society. A society where all races are equal. Jim Jones wanted to change the world and the people adored him for it.

Jonestown was created in the southamerican woods and his followers went there to live with him. And who wouldn't want to live in a place of peace, no wealth and no poverty and unconditional love ? It was such a promising society at first. Just a few years later all the members died and just 5 managed to escape. What happened ?

There is a lot of footage of this society which makes it for an excellent documentary. How did the society emerge, how did it become so successful, why did it have to end this way ?

Jonestown: The life and death of People Temple (2006)
Duration: 84 minutes

The greatest single loss of American civilian life in a non-natural disaster until the events of September 11, 2001