FILMS

Filmmaker Kristen Irving grew up in the evangelical community and was raised with the beliefs that a woman’s responsibility is to submit to a man; that abortion is the worst type of sin; and that hell is a very real place for anyone who disobeys the church’s teachings. True Believer is an informative and timely documentary that explores the hidden truths about the origins of American Evangelicalism while also untangling Irving’s complicated past. Through an investigatory lens, she unpacks the history of how the religious right has spent decades trying to overhaul democracy in their own image, from the beginnings of the pro-life movement to the continued belief in white supremacy. 

Official Selection – Cleveland International Film Festival