My mate made a documentary for the BBC that aired in 2009 called Trouble in Amish Paradise. The documentary was very well received.
It centered in two Amish families who were being excommunicated by the Old Order.
He made a follow-up called Leaving Amish Paradise, which will be broadcast on BBC2 tomorrow @ 22:00 CET (21:00 GMT).
I'm sure you'll enjoy this if you like a good documentary.
PS. Trouble in Amish Paradise is available on iPlayer for those who know how to access it.
I saw the show about teenagers from Amish community who went to UK to see the life to regular young adult/teenagers. Was very interesting and I learned loads of things about that community, I will look for that one too.
I saw the show about teenagers from Amish community who went to UK to see the life to regular young adult/teenagers. Was very interesting and I learned loads of things about that community, I will look for that one too.
Thanks!
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Quite a few people jumped on the Amish bandwagon and made documentaries. I found the one you mentioned a little exploitative and ventured into the realm of Reality TV. I
love the human condition and love being a tourist in the human game reserve.
If you have access to iPlayer, I urge you to watch the first one. It was great documentary making.
Quite a few people jumped on the Amish bandwagon and made documentaries. I found the one you mentioned a little exploitative and ventured into the realm of Reality TV. I
love the human condition and love being a tourist in the human game reserve.
If you have access to iPlayer, I urge you to watch the first one. It was great documentary making.
Yes I agree it was more sensationalism kind but it was a good opening for those who didn't have a chance to see any other documentary. When I visit my parents down to Florida, I love to go to their restaurants and neighbourhood. It is a totally different world.
We watched it and it was very enlightning. What shocked me was that Amish teenage boys basically "go on a bender" before being accepted into the church; they drink, smoke, buy fast cars and be as promiscuous as they want. A complete anathema to the traditional Amish way of live.
Your friend has done an excellent job of highlighting the Amish, the good and at least touching on the dark - something which doesn't get publicized very often.
I was glad to see this documentary, I had wondered what happened to these guys after the original.
Your friend has done an excellent job of highlighting the Amish, the good and at least touching on the dark - something which doesn't get publicized very often.
I was glad to see this documentary, I had wondered what happened to these guys after the original.
My mate is back in Pennsylvania, for what I am not exactly sure. I am glad you enjoyed the Documentary, some of it was quite alarming. They just move from one fanatical set of rules to another. I particularly enjoyed the Amish yoots who take 'eye watering amounts of drink and drugs and race around in Hot Rods'
For some reason, I actually found the "happy clappers" they moved too more disturbing than the Amish. At least the Amish are steeped in decades of tradition and keep themselves to themsleves, whereas the evangelists are just a bit too prosetylising for my liking.
For some reason, I actually found the "happy clappers" they moved too more disturbing than the Amish. At least the Amish are steeped in decades of tradition and keep themselves to themsleves, whereas the evangelists are just a bit too prosetylising for my liking.
Aye, the Amish who are excommunicated must be so bewildered and susceptible. Despite offering some kind of support, the evangelicals are happy to have some leverage and exploit the situation. Soft targets I guess.
In the case of Jesse and Ephraim, they were originally excommunicated for being overtly religious. They wanted to read an English bible and hold prayer meetings at home. The Amish elders did not like this. So it does not surprise me that they were able to find a more radical group.
What does surprise me though is that they see the release from the bounds of dogma, but fail to see the similarities all round.
It makes for good TV.
What disturbed me most were things like Ephraim wanting to stop his daughter's chemo treatment and leave her health in the hands of God. Do what you want with your health and your life, but don't f**k about with the health of your kids because you can't see further than your nose.
__________________ The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few
What disturbed me most were things like Ephraim wanting to stop his daughter's chemo treatment and leave her health in the hands of God. Do what you want with your health and your life, but don't f**k about with the health of your kids because you can't see further than your nose.
That logic just doesn't compute though. To the parent they are doing the right thing, sadly.
These kind of "eccentricities" - for want of a better word - are the worst part of it all, however, on the flip side, I respect their lack of attachment to the materialistic, must have it now, technologically-addicted world we all now live in.
My mate is back in Pennsylvania, for what I am not exactly sure. I am glad you enjoyed the Documentary, some of it was quite alarming. They just move from one fanatical set of rules to another. I particularly enjoyed the Amish yoots who take 'eye watering amounts of drink and drugs and race around in Hot Rods'
We are funny and strange creatures.
Thanks for the website link, I'll definitely be checking it out.
I grew up not far - about an hour drive - from the Amish in Ohio (the documentary series about the young people coming to the UK featured people from that area), so I have had the chance to go to what we call "Amish country". I always found it so interesting that they mingle with what they call the "English" (non-Amish), but adults never seem tempted to leave their little enclaves.
I have to admit, I found it very disturbing that the people in these two documentaries were sucked into a similarly-restrictive and isolationist in their own way church atmosphere. Baby steps, perhaps? I'd love to know where these families are in 10 or more years.
We watched it and it was very enlightning. What shocked me was that Amish teenage boys basically "go on a bender" before being accepted into the church; they drink, smoke, buy fast cars and be as promiscuous as they want. A complete anathema to the traditional Amish way of live.
I read somewhere that 90% of the boys eventually stay in the church. I guess it is a way to filter out who would not remain committed to their way of life. It seems to work because their numbers are growing.
I wonder what happens with the girls? I would suppose they have similar problems in deciding between the "English" and the "Amish".
What disturbed me most were things like Ephraim wanting to stop his daughter's chemo treatment and leave her health in the hands of God. Do what you want with your health and your life, but don't f**k about with the health of your kids because you can't see further than your nose.
I was also disturbed when I saw this but my reaction was different, not of anger, but sadness. There are a lot of people who are uncomfortable about modern medicine and this is due to ignorance. But at least he had accepted it in the first place and according to his website, it seems that she went through the whole treatment.