Sons of Perdition

Sons of Perdition - Session 4 (Friday, October 8th, 7-10pm)

USA, 2010, 85mins.

Director: Tyler Measom, Jennilyn Mersen

Producer: Tyler Measom, Jennilyn Mersen, Julie Goldman

In the remote desert of Utah hides Colorado City, the oldest polygamist compound in the United States. Here men have plural wives and raise their children by the strict code of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saint religion (FLDS).

Shortly after his rise to power in 2003, the FLDS’ prophet Warren Jeffs began a systematic effort to cleanse his flock for the end of the world. He banned public schooling, gentile books, recreations, and excommunicated prominent men, marrying their women and children to other men. Hundreds of teenage boys were exiled to the streets of neighboring communities. Many more followed, giving up their families and salvation in the hope of escape.

SONS OF PERDITION follows three boys after they leave the isolation of Colorado City and join the underground network of exiled FLDS teens. Condemned to hell by their community, many of the boys turn to drugs and alcohol. With limited education and rarely a stable address, the obstacles are enormous. All the boys have big dreams—starting with the hope of attending high school—but what they want most is contact with their families. For one teen in the film, this means numerous attempts to help his fourteen-year-old sister escape before  an arranged marriage.

With unprecedented access, SONS OF PERDITION takes audiences on a three-year-journey into the lives of these remarkable teens, providing the inside analysis to make this intimate portrait a big story—a timely, critical look at faith, family and religious exile in mainstream America.

IN PERSON:  Sam Zitting (featured in film) and Tyler Measom (Director/Producer)

Website: www.sonsofperditionthemovie.com

Trailer: http://www.sonsofperditionthemovie.com/Sons_of_Perdition_Trailer.html

Festival Screenings & Awards:

Tribeca Film Festival

Telluride Mountain Fest (Directors Award)

Silverdocs

Salt Lake Film Festival

Mountain Summit in Aspen

Sun Valley Festival

** Acquired by the Oprah Winfrey Network and will be presented as part of the Oprah Winfrey Documentary Club