Apostasy

A deeply religious family must decide whether to stick by their relation or abandon her, in this striking debut from Daniel Kokotajlo.

Eighteen-year-old Alex, her elder sister Luisa and their mother Ivanna live as part of a close-knit community of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Manchester. After Luisa commits an act of transgression, the Elders threaten to expel her from the congregation. Her mother and sister must either persuade her to return or shun her completely, in accordance with their faith’s rules.

With this striking debut, which premiered at the BFI London Film Festival (where it won the IWC Bursary Award), Daniel Kokotajlo, himself a former Jehovah’s Witness, provides a remarkably authentic insight into a community that we know very little about, and offers a stunning exploration of the complex nature of faith, family and duty. This film was made with the support of the BFI, using funds from the National Lottery.