Obsession (film, 2015)

The Path to the Clergy is closely related to Lawrence Wright’s book, which covers most of the narrative using archival sources, dramatic reconstructions, and interviews with eight former Scientologists: ^{[4] [5] [6]} Oscar- directed and owned by Paul Haggis ; the former second person in the leadership hierarchy of the Church of Scientology, Mark Marty Rathboon ; former head of the Scientology Special Affairs Division Mike Rinder ; actors Jason Beh , former Commissioner for Relations with John Travolta Sylvia "Spanky" Taylor; former Scientologists Tom De Vocht, Sarah Goldberg, Hanoi Eltringham Wilfred. ^[7]

The film is divided into three separate acts. In the first, former Scientologists talk about how they were introduced to Scientology. The second act is dedicated to the history of Scientology and its founder, Lafayette Ronald Hubbard . The Final Act focuses on allegations of abuse by members of the Church of Scientology and the mischief of its leadership, particularly in the person of David Miscavige who is accused of intimidation , beatings , imprisonment and exploitation of subordinates. The film shows the role played by famous Scientologists like John Travolta and Tom Cruise , whose video appearances interspersed with stories by former Scientologists about their experiences. ^[eight]

To confirm what was said in the film, documentary footage of the persecution and wiretapping of former Scientologists is presented (according to Hubbard’s instructions, criticisms of Scientologists are all criminals whose crimes must be exposed). ^[9] It also talks about how Miscavige imprisoned the top leadership of the Church of Scientology on a Scientology basis known as the “ Hole ". ^[10] And about one of the Scientologists, it is alleged that he was forced to clean the bathroom with his tongue. ^[11] The film notes that telephone conversations between actress and Tom Cruise's ex-wife Nicole Kidman were tapped by Scientologists with the goal of ruining their marriage after it was designated as "a probable source of trouble ". ^{[7] [12]} And it was reported about John Travolt that he had stayed with the Scientologists for fear that the unpleasant details of his personal life could be made public. ^[13]

The film is based on Lawrence Wright ’s Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Path to the Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Faith ”, Which was released in January 2013 and became a finalist of the National Book Award . HBO announced in December 2014 that the owner of the Oscars and director of the films Taxi to the Dark Side (2007) and Armstrong Lies is "(2013) Alex Gibney busy filming a film based on Wright’s book and will be dedicated to the Sundance Film Festival in 2015 . For the first time, the HBO took a firm hold on the Church of Scientology, although it had previously had a difficult relationship with it when Scientologists held demonstrations under the windows of the television company’s headquarters after the 1998 release of a film about the positive effects of antidepressants , which Scientologists vehemently oppose. ^[14] Head of HBO Documentary Films Sheila Nevins in November 2014 noted that “ we probably recruited 160 lawyers [who watched the movie] .” ^{[14] [15]}

Gibney began work on the film in 2013 after being intrigued by Wright's book. Wright himself acted as the producer of the film to highlight the main theme of the book " How People Become Prisoners of Faith in Various Ways ." ^[5] Gibney believes, along with the involvement of the US government in torturing prisoners in CIA prisons , financial fraud of corporations and religious sex scandals , Scientology is one of the most difficult subjects that he had to cover as a documentary filmmaker. ^[five]

Fears of Scientology’s possible lawsuits prevented American television networks from agreeing to license the director’s material, which Gibney himself described as “ astounding .” ^[16] Gibney noted that “he found it fascinating — more than anything else — that prompted all television networks to go down to license. “I believe that at the end of the day, I told you more about Scientology than the television networks to which it is ruthless in its desire to silence any criticism .” ^[17] Bearing in mind that the Church of Scientology is pursuing its critics, Gibney used prepaid mobile phones in in order to contact the interviewees and to keep the film in secret: “ Sometimes for the interview on camera we installed a special mechanism in someone’s house, and I was sure that I was here for hours. Then it will seem to the person that he as if came to someone’s house . ” ^[17]

Explaining what prompted him to make a film about Scientology, Gibney noted in an interview with Reuters that he considered this “ an important topic.” Not only about this Church of Scientology that everyone admires, partly because of celebrities, but partly because of the way the church seems to have directed people to do things that I suppose they would normally never do if they wouldn’t cross the threshold of the church . ” ^[18] Gibney, Wright, and the former Scientologists who took part in the filming hoped that the film would increase public awareness of the alleged abuses committed by the Church of Scientology and encourage the media and law enforcement agencies to investigate further. ^[4] Later in her Los Angeles Times article, Gibney suggested that, in the light of documented abuses by the Church of Scientology, she should be denied the status of a tax-exempt religious organization. ^[nineteen]

USA

The premiere of "The Path to the Clear" took place on January 25, 2015 at the Sundance Film Festival . ^[20] The Wall Street Journal noted that it was the “ hottest ticket ” of the entire film festival. ^[4] The premiere attracted so much public attention that even those spectators who had tickets on hand could not find their seats, as VIP ticket holders wished to watch the film taking advantage of their pre-emptive right to seats in the hall. ^[4] Many famous people attended the premiere, including actors Alec Baldwin and Toby Maguire , comedian Jason Sudeikis , and The New York Times columnist Maureen Daud . ^[21] The audience greeted The Way to the Clergy with a standing ovation and storm, which is a rare occurrence on Sundance. ^[4] The appearance on the stage of Sylvia “Spanky” Taylor with her daughter, from whom the Church of Scientology made Sylvia “ pull back ", Made many present weep. ^[6] Later on, the movie was released on March 13, 2015 and was shown in a limited number of cinemas in New York , Los Angeles and San Francisco . ^[22]

Limited screening is associated with the fact that the film can be nominated for an Oscar and must meet the selection criteria. Due to the continuing demand from viewers, in July 2015, HBO announced that it intends to release the film in wider distribution from September 25 in ArcLight Hollywood and others like him in California , Chicago , Washington , New York , Texas and other parts of the United States. ^{[23] [24]}

On March 29, 2015, HBO showed The Way to the Clear at its broadcast frequencies. ^[22] It was the most successful documentary film premiere for the channel since 2006 , amounting to 1.7 million viewers. ^[25] 5.5 million viewers watched the film only in the first two weeks from the premiere, which was the second major success of the channel in the last decade after the 2013 film about singer Beyonce . ^{[26] [27]} Vimeo acquired US distribution rights on the Internet in September 2015 . ^[28]

World

The film was widely distributed in the world, but in most countries it was not planned for screenings in movie theaters. The Church of Scientology has launched a major campaign to prevent the film from showing internationally. Alex Gibney noted: “ Every step along this path, every distributor, every festival received many letters of threat from the Church of Scientology. Some were very close to breaking . ” ^{[29] [30]} The Sydney International Film Festival was among those threatened by Scientologists, but the movie The Path to the Clear was still shown; Gibney noted for himself that " delighted with the Australians who have overcome the path ." ^[29] However, the Australian airline Qantas , whose ambassador is Scientologist John Travolta , refused to show the film on its planes. ^[31]

In Denmark, the film was shown on April 21, 2015 on DR2 as the “Scientology Religious Dungeon of Scientology” ( dated Scientologys religiøse fængsel ) ^[32] .

In Sweden, the film was shown on May 19, 2015 on the SVT1 television channel entitled “Captured by Scientology” ( Swedish: Fångade av scientologin ). ^[33]

In the Netherlands, on May 19, 2015, the film under the original name showed NPO 2 . ^[34]

Sky Atlantic TV channel , a co-distributor of HBO Films originally intended to show the film in the UK and Ireland immediately after its premiere on television in the United States . However, this was discontinued due to possible legal difficulties. Since Northern Ireland has not acceded to the Defamation Act , significantly updated the British legislation on the responsibility for the dissemination of defamation , and Sky Atlantic could not distribute its television signal in such a way as not to become a defendant in a lawsuit. In addition, the Church of Scientology has prevented the publication and distribution of The Path to the Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Faith " Lawrence Wright , on which the film was based, and to threaten television companies in the United Kingdom with legal claims in the United Kingdom , saying that" she will have the right to seek protection from the laws of the United Kingdom and Ireland regarding liability for defamation, in the event that if any false or disgraceful information in this film is broadcast in these jurisdictions . ” ^[35] In this regard, the film received a limited number of screenings in July 2015 in cinemas in England and Scotland . ^[29] However, Sky Atlantic ultimately decided to launch the film in the UK and Ireland, including Northern Ireland, in September 2015 . ^[36]

Russia

In Russia, the film was released under the official name “Obsession”, and a preliminary screening took place at the 37th Moscow International Film Festival, the film was released under the name “Enlightenment: Scientology and the Quirks of Faith.” ^{[2] [3] [20]} . In addition, the film was shown by TV channel 24 Dok and appeared on the screens of movie theaters in 70 cities of Russia - in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Volgograd, Samara, Krasnodar, Penza, Chelyabinsk, Rostov-on-Don, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Kaliningrad, Ulyanovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Ufa, Izhevsk, Tyumen, Perm, Naberezhnye Chelny, Belgorod, Saratov, Voronezh and Surgut. ^{[7] [20]}

On March 13, 2015, Metacritic rated the film 81 out of 100 based on reviews from 10 critics. ^[37]

Having collected 71 reviews as of September 28, 2015, Rotten Tomatoes rated the film 93%. ^[38]

Variety chief film critic Scott Fondas praised the level of detail in the film and called it the documentary " powder keg " that opens its eyes to the " danger of blind faith ." ^[ten]

Leslie Felperin at The Hollywood Reporter evaluates the film as “ flawlessly mounted and convincing, ” which “ represents a bold, timely intervention in a debate around an organization that has been hot for some time .” ^[39]

Sharan Shetti in Slate called the film "a terrific exposure of organization and religion, too long covered in a veil of secrecy ." ^[40]

Anthony Kaufman at Screen International wrote that he felt “ stiffness and sensationalism ” in some reconstructions, and when evaluating the film as a whole, he noted that it was “a thoughtful, incredible, disturbing combination of brainwashing , greed, and abuse of power .” ^[41]

In The Guardian, Brian Boylan rated the film as an “ entertaining and terrifying sight ” in which “the history of Scientology, with all its unusual participants, is more like a comedy than a horror film, ” but it also made critical remarks, considering the film dependent on the participation of only former Scientologists and without any involvement from the Church of Scientology. He considered that the omission made the film “a little one-sided ” and that it “ easily provokes skepticism about some of the most outlandish statements made by former members .” ^[eight]

Sasha Bronner at The Huffington Post called the film a “ heart-breaking and instructive ” work that would leave those who knew nothing about Scientology “ spellbound ”. ^[42]

Film critic Owen Gleibernman called the film "the most exciting - and thrilling - work in documentary films over the years " and "the terrifyingly intense thriller, " giving it a five-star rating. ^[43]

Film critic A. V. Dolin noted that “The Path to the Clear” is “ First of all, this is a picture of the mechanisms of power and suppression. About the dictatorship of the majority, about the main and ancient paradox of faith: “ I believe, for it is absurd .” But about the resistance of the individual, too, about health and self-esteem. " ^[27]

Film critic Dmitry Sosnovsky in Rossiyskaya Gazeta suggested that “ After viewing the picture, it’s hard to get rid of the feeling that you were poured a couple of buckets of dirt on you, which is very difficult to wash. For some, this dirt is likely to be healing. For those who are not inclined to search for easy ways of personal growth, the picture is likely to make a depressing impression, and may make it fall into a deep misanthropy. However, this is no longer the fault of the film, but its problems. " ^[44]

After the premiere of the film, a clip ^[45] featuring the Church of Scientology entitled “Church of Neurotology”, a parody of the 1990 propaganda Scientology clip “ We Stand Tall, ” excerpted, was shown in the Saturday Night Live musical comedy show . from which was shown in The Path to the Clear.

Awards and nominations

“The Path to the Clergy” at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony was nominated in seven nominations - “Best Documentary or Special Documentary”, “Cinematography for a Documentary Program”, “ Editing an Image for a Documentary Program”, “Editing sound for a documentary program (for single or multiple cameras) ”,“ Mixing sound for a documentary program (for single or multiple cameras) ”. Alex Gibney was nominated in two - “Screenwriter of the documentary program” and “Director of the documentary program”. ^[46]

The film won in three categories - “Best Documentary or Special Documentary”, “Screenwriter of a Documentary Program” and “Director of a Documentary Program”. ^[47] Gibney at the award ceremony noted that “ it is a great honor ” for him and praised the “ courageous support ” of the HBO leadership, as well as the “ dedication of the witnesses who stood up against ... human rights violations ”. ^[48]

Ten days before the film’s premiere, the Church of Scientology bought all the pages for advertising in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times to prevent the film from appearing ^[5] , comparing it to the scandalous story of Campus Rape "Published in the famous magazine" Rolling Stone ". ^[49] Гибни впоследствии отметил, что был очень благодарен Церкви саентологии за рекламу и привлечение широкого внимания к его фильму; он только очень желал, чтобы « она разместила к самому показу ». ^[9] Глава HBO Documentary Films Шейла Невинс отметила, что когда прочитала рекламные публикации Церкви саентологии, то поняла, что «Путь к клиру» ждёт большой успех: « Документальным фильмам сложно получить целую страницу для объявлений, и когда получается, то это правда отлично ». ^[50]

Кроме того, Церковь саентологии опубликовала на одном из своих сайтов « особый доклад », в котором нападала на фильм, а также зарегистрировала новую учётную запись «FreedomMediaEthics» в социальной сети Twitter , где было объявлено о « занятии решительной позиции против трансляции и публикации ложных сведений » ^[49] и выкупила множество поисковых запросов Google , имеющих отношения к фильму, с целью перенаправить их на собственные сайты и страницы, посвящённые осуждению «Путь к клиру». ^{[25] [51]}

Церковь саентологии заявляла, что Гибни отказал в участии в интервью для фильма двадцати пяти саентологам. В то же самое время Гибни утверждает, что делал предложения о интервью таким известным саентологам как актёры Том Круз и Джон Траволта , а также возглавляющему в настоящее время Церковь саентологии Дэвиду Мицкевичу , но все трое отказались, о чём было особо отмечено в титрах к фильму. ^[11] Вместо них Церковь саентологии, как отмечал Гисби, предложила " делегацию из 25 неустановленных лиц, по-видимому, для обливания грязью снимающихся в нашем фильме ". ^[52] Также Церковь саентологии осудила интервьюированных Гибни в фильме, назвав их « обычной группой навязчивых, рассерженных бывших членов церкви, выгнанных с тех пор, как 30 лет назад совершили должностные преступления, которые имеют документированную историю создания лжи о церкви за деньги ». ^[four]

Гибни отмечал, что Церковь саентологии подготовила «организованный» и «жестокий» ответ на появление своих бывших членов фильме: « Некоторые из них получили угрозы физической расправы, люди угрожали им отобрать их дома, частные детективы преследовали их. Это то, что, по-настоящему, душераздирающе ». ^[53] В марте 2015 года частный детектив из Нью-Йорка Эрик Сальдарриаджа ( англ. Eric Saldarriaga ) признал себя виновным перед федеральным обвинителем в совершении преступления в сфере информационных технологий путём умышленного получения незаконного доступа к, по меньшей мере, 60 ящикам электронной почты граждан, в интересах третьих лиц, одним из которых был « некто занимающийся расследованием от имени Церкви саентологии ». ^{[54] [55]} Одними из тех, против кого была направлена деятельность частного детектива были участники съёмок — бывший руководитель саентологического Отдела особых дел Майк Риндер и журналист Тони Ортега . ^{[56] [57]} Имена заказчиков Сальдарриаджа не были выявлены в ходе следствия и прокуратура отказалась от дальнейших действий против кого-либо ещё сославшись на отсутствие доказательств. ^[55] Спустя несколько недель после телевизионной премьеры фильма Пол Хаггис сообщил, что подозреваемый в качестве осведомителя саентологов называет себя репортёром журнала Time и пытался у него взять интервью с вероятной целью получения какого-то компрометирующего материала против Хаггиса, хотя Церковь саентологии выступала с опровержением. ^[58] Другие участники фильма, Тони Ортега и бывший саентолог Марк Хэдли сообщили, что нанятые Церковью саентологии частные детективы следили за ними в аэропорту Солт-Лейк-Сити , когда они ехали на кинофестиваль Сандэнс . ^[9]

Церковь саентологии связалась кинокритиками, укоряя их за положительные рецензии на «Путь к клиру», которые « наполнены неприкрытой ложью ». Кинокритик Джейсон Бейли из « Flavorwire » писал, что « почти каждый критик, написавший о „Путь к клиру“ » получил по электронной почте письмо от саентологического пресс-секретаря Карин Поув . Он указал, что саентологи, видимо, не понимают, что кинокритики, как правило, не стремятся взять интервью для написания рецензии, а также отметил, как история с нападками на рецензии хорошо « согласуется с представленным в фильме образом церкви, как улья затаившихся, параноидально контролируемых фриков ». ^[25] Указывая на случай с «Flavorwire» Гибни отметил, что « когда кто-либо пишет что-либо — кино- или социальную критику — о саентологии, Церковь саентологии наносит контрудар, поливая грязью критиков ». ^[59]

Кинокритик Макс О'Конелл на « Indiewire » осудил такой контрпродуктивный подход Церкви саентологии по отношению к фильму «Путь к клиру». Он сделал прогноз, что « кампания против фильма будет наилучшей рекламой, о какой Алекс Гибни и компания-производитель могут только мечтать, также и нападки на критиков и кинопроизводителей и (это не мелочь) бывших саентологов, которые осмелились выступить против практик церкви. Но тогда им, кажется, не страшно осознавать, что нападки на всех, кто критикует вас, ничуть не способствует улучшению вашего имиджа ». ^[25] Пол Хаггис , которому Церковью саентологии были приклеены ярлыки « тупой » ( англ. doughy ) и « одутловатый » ( англ. pasty ) также посчитал, что подобные нападки приведут к прямо противоположному: « Вы не думали, что ухудшаете свой вид, пытаясь оклеветать меня таким образом? Я несовершенный человек. И я совершил много-много ошибок в своей жизни. Поэтому, вы можете опубликовать любые из них. Но это, правда, (вы) полагаете позволит вам лучше выглядеть? ". ^[60]

Создатели фильма Алекс Гибни и Лоуренс Райт сообщали, что получали множество « открыток и писем » от Церкви саентологии, хотя в их случае содержание ограничено лишь « бременем юридической документации ». ^[9] Глава HBO Documentary Films Шейла Невинс в ноябре 2014 года отмечала, что « мы привлекли, вероятно, 160 юристов [просмотревших фильм] ». ^{[14] [15]} Кроме того она отметила, что не могла поверить насколько агрессивной может быть Церковь саентологии. ^[14] Но именно такая враждебная настойчивость в попытках воспрепятствовать выходу фильма «Путь к клиру» в большей степени побудили Невинс к тому, чтобы закончить работу над кинопроектом: « Я подумала: „Они действительно не хотят, чтобы мы его сделали. Всё больше причин его сделать.“ ». ^[50]

in Russian

• Вся правда о саентологах: в прокат выходит фильм-сенсация "Наваждение" // Вести.ру . — 24.09.2015.
• Документальный фильм "Наваждение" о Церкви саентологии выходит в российский прокат // ТАСС . — 24.09.2015.
• Долин А. В. .doc «Наваждение» Алекса Гибни: вся правда о сайентологии // Афиша-Воздух . — 23.09.2015.
• Сайентологи в США препятствуют показам фильма, разоблачающего их деятельность // NEWSru.com . — 22.09.2015.
• Сосновский Д. Псевдонаучная фантастика // Российская газета . — 24.09.2015.
• Сулим А. Маски сняты: фильм "Наваждение" расскажет об истинной жизни саентологов // Вести.ру . — 24.09.2015.

in other languages

• Beaumont-Thomas B. Church of Scientology targets film critics over Going Clear documentary // The Guardian . — 03.02.2015.
• Bodey M. Scientologists pressured Sydney Film Festival to ban film // The Australian . — 01.07.2015.
• Bronner S. Sundance So Far: More On The Juicy Scientology Doc Everyone Is Talking About // The Huffington Post . — 27.01.2015.
• Brown T. Emmy nominations 2015: Complete list of nominees // Los Angeles Times . — 16.07.2015.
• Buckley C. Sundance 2015: Scientology Documentary Draws Crush of Festgoers // The New York Times . — 26.01.2015.
• Cieply M. . Documentary Draws Ire From the Church of Scientology // The New York Times . - 01/15/2015.
• Cohen S. Sundance First Look: Oscar winner Alex Gibney pulls back curtain on Scientology // Associated Press . - 01/26/2015. Archived on September 24, 2015.
• Collins ST Clear 'and Present Danger: Alex Gibney on His Bold Scientology Doc // Rolling Stone . - March 19, 2015.
• Cox J. HBO is putting their smash Scientology doc Going Clear back in theaters // The Verge . - 07/15/2015.
• Dargis M. Review: Alex Gibney Takes On Scientology in 'Going Clear' // The New York Times . - March 12, 2015.
• de Moraes L. Going Clear 'Director On Tom Cruise & Sequel To Scientology Docu - Creative Arts Emmys // Deadline.com . - September 12, 2015.
• Felperin L. 'Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief': Sundance Review // The Hollywood Reporter . 01/25/2015.
• Foundas S. Sundance Film Review: 'Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief // Variety . - 01/26/2015.
• Fritz B. Sundance Festival: Alex Gibney's Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear' Is a Hit // The Wall Street Journal . - 01/26/2015.
• Gallagher S. Private investigator snooped on e-mail of Scientology critics // Ars Technica . - 06/26/2015.
• Gleiberman O. . Going Clear is a “must-see” Scientology documentary // BBC . 03/20/2015.
• Gibney A. . 'Going Clear' filmmaker: Scientology abuses its tax-exempt status // Los Angeles Times . - 04/11/2015.
• Goldstein M. Investigator Admits Guilt in Hiring of a Hacker // The New York Times . - 03/06/2015.
• Goldstein M. Hired Hacker Who Named Clients Now Fears Retaliation // The New York Times . - 07/08/2015.
• Goldstein M. Prison Term Sought for Private Eye Who Hacked Email // The New York Times . - 06/25/2015.
• Guerassio J. Here's the moment HBO knew its Scientology doc 'Going Clear' would be a huge hit // Business Insider . - 07/18/2015.
• Helmore E. TV 'exposure' of Scientology halted by UK libel law split // The Guardian . - 04/18/2015.
• Horn J. Alex Gibney on Going Clear, His Scientology Documentary That's the Talk of Sundance // Vulture.com . 01/30/2015.
• Kaufman A. Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief // Screen International . - 01/26/2015.
• Labrecque, Jeff. Church of Scientology sets up online response to 'Going Clear' doc // Entertainment Weekly . - 01/28/2015.
• Lacey L. Review Going Clear: A clear-eyed, in-depth view of Scientology and its influence // The Globe and Mail . - 05/08/2015.
• Lang B. - 'Going Clear' Creators Say Tom Cruise Should Speak Out Against Scientology's Abuses // Variety . - 01/27/2015.
• Lloyd R. Review of HBO's 'Going Clear' a remarkable glimpse into Scientology // Los Angeles Times . - March 28, 2015.
• Lee A. 'Going Clear' Filmmakers on How Scientology Sees Tom Cruise as "Useless," Uses John Travolta's Plane // The Hollywood Reporter . - March 4, 2015.
• Maas J. Going Clear on pace to be HBO's second-most-watched documentary // Entertainment Weekly . - 04/13/2015.
• Meslow S. HBO's Going Clear should be the final nail in Scientology's coffin // The Week . - 03/27/2015.
• Moyer J. The horrible things a new documentary says about Tom Cruise and Scientology // The Washington Post . - 01/28/2015.
• Moylan B. Sundance 2015 review: Going Clear - Scientology film preaches to converted // The Guardian . - 01/26/2015.
• Neumaier J. 'Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief' review: Religion that lores Tom Cruise, John Travolta, other celebs // Daily News . - March 12, 2015.
• O'Connell M. Scientology Exposé 'Going Clear' Is HBO's Biggest Doc Premiere in Almost a Decade // The Hollywood Reporter . - March 31, 2015.
• Ostrow J. Review Going Clear: A clear-eyed, in-depth view of Scientology and its influence // The Denver Post . - 03/27/2015.
• Patch N. Canadian ex-Scientologist Paul Haggis hopes 'Going Clear' is opening eyes // Toronto Star . - 08.16.2015.
• Persall S. Scientology movie 'Going Clear' creates buzz at Sundance Film Festival // Tampa Bay Times . - 01/26/2015.
• Pritchard T. Alex Gibney, Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief // Screen International . - 01/28/2015.
• Puente M. HBO's Pending Scientology Documentary Investigates Church's Hold On Hollywood Stars // USA Today . 12/01/2014.
• Puig C. Scientology doc 'Going Clear' shocks Sundance filmgoers // USA Today . - 01/26/2015.
• Rodman S. A damning view of Scientology in HBO's 'Going Clear' // The Boston Globe . - 03/26/2015.
• Shetty S. What Sundance Favorite Going Clear Tells Us About Scientology // Slate . - 01/26/2015.
• Shepherd J. Church of Scientology allegedly sent threatening letters to film distributors and festivals showing damning documentary // The Independent . - 07/05/2015.
• Siegel T. HBO Prepping Bombshell Scientology Film From Oscar Winner (Exclusive) // The Hollywood Reporter . - 11.24.2014.
• Siegemund-Broka A. Alex Gibney's documentary opened in several countries in recent weeks against backlash from the Church of Scientology // The Hollywood Reporter . - 07/03/2015.
• Silman A. -Scientology spy pretending to be a Time reporter tries to interview Paul Haggis // Salon . - 04/17/2015.
• Spangler T. 'Going Clear' Scientology Documentary Coming to Vimeo After HBO Run // Variety . - 02/10/2015.
• Stern M. Scientology Doc 'Going Clear' Claims the Church Split Up Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman // The Daily Beast . - 01/26/2015.
• Stuever H. . 'Going Clear,' 'Killing Jesus' and the enduring mysteries of faith // The Washington Post . - 03/27/2015.
• Szalai G. Sky to Air Scientology Doc 'Going Clear' in UK, Ireland in September " // The Hollywood Reporter . 08/05/2015.
• Trinh J. The Challenges Of Making A Scientology Documentary, According To 'Going Clear' Director // LAist . - March 13, 2015. Archived March 16, 2015.
• Zerbib K. HBO to Re-release Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear' in Theaters // The Wrap . - 07/15/2015.

in Russian

• Radaev I. Documentary thriller "Obsession": what struck critics // Filmpro.ru . - 09/10/2015.
• Kharyunin G. Rubrics “Paradox” and “Film Music”, “Warrior”, anniversary of the film studio “Gorky”, “Obsession” by Alex Gibney - “Film Industry” // Filmpro.ru . - September 18, 2015.
• Urgant I.A. 515 issue // Evening Urgant . - The first channel , 09.24.2015.

in other languages

• Going Clear on HBO Documentary Films official website
• Going Clear on the official Jigsaw Productions website
• Preview footage from the film
• " Obsession " (English) on the Internet Movie Database
• Going Clear on Rotten Tomatoes
• Going Clear on Metacritic ; video interview
• Spotlight shines on controversial Scientology documentary - CNN interview (January 26, 2015)
• Alex Gibney and Lawrence Wright on the Challenges of Making 'Going Clear' - Slate interview (January 27, 2015)
• 'Going Clear' Documentary Exposes The Church of Scientology: Sundance Short Cuts - The Hollywood Reporter (January 27, 2015)
• Lawrence Wright and Alex Gibney on Scientology and 'Going Clear' - Variety interview (January 28, 2015)
• Alex Gibney interview: journey into the seductive world of Scientology - Guardian interview (June 28, 2015)