Danish film uses former cult members to direct actors in hybrid documentary

Director Eva Mulvad and her team created a hybrid documentary that pairs professional actors with former members of a Danish Christian sect. The film, titled Father's House, opens Monday in the Doc@PÖFF International Competition at the 30th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia. It explores the internal dynamics of Faderhuset, a congregation that operated under strict control during the 1990s before closing in 2013.

The production deviates from standard dramatization by allowing survivors to guide the performances. Writers Adam Nielsen and Andreas Koefoed collaborated with Mulvad to structure this method. The film intercuts staged scenes with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews. Festival organizers described the final cut as intimate and formally inventive.

Trine Dyrholm, known for her role in The Girl With the Needle, portrays Ruth Evensen, who led the group. David Dencik plays Jerry, a former member. Laura Kronborg Kjær appears as Camilla Johnson, while Emma Sehested Høeg also stars in the ensemble. Nielsen handled editing, and Mia Mai Dengsø Graabæk and Adam Jandrup provided cinematography. Camera Film will release the movie in Danish theaters on Nov. 19, with DR Sales managing international distribution.

Camilla Johnson spent seven years inside Faderhuset before departing. She later founded InsideOut, a nonprofit organization that helps individuals leave cults through books and public talks. Her path to the film began ten years ago when she met Mulvad while sharing her story publicly. After Johnson published her second book, Mulvad proposed a documentary project. Johnson initially hesitated, expressing uncertainty about exposing the most shameful aspects of her life to a camera.

Johnson eventually agreed to the format, noting that the directors treated her vulnerability with care. She stated that after the first day of shooting, she felt profound gratitude for her freedom, which she regained 18 years prior. Johnson emphasized that the goal was to display the mechanisms of control rather than simply recount her personal narrative. She helped select specific scenes and is seen in the early footage giving direction to Dyrholm.

One intense sequence, referred to as the birth scene, depicts a confrontation between Dyrholm's character and Kjær's character. Johnson initially resisted including this segment because it involved severe abuse. She later agreed to its inclusion to illustrate how power structures can override individual will. She stated that the audience needs to see and feel the reality of that dynamic.

Koefoed said the filmmakers sent the finished film to representatives of Father's House about a month ago. They gave the group two weeks to provide comments but received no response. Koefoed noted that the project aims to show that cult members are often intelligent and strong individuals who entered groups during vulnerable periods. Johnson added that the same mechanisms exist in various locations, including the United States and Israel.