WEBVTT

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Alex Gibney spent 2 years secretly
producing a film on Scientology —

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the very subjects of his project.

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Documentary… it’s a word that conjures up
images of legitimate investigation

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and fact-based reporting.

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But in Gibney’s case there is
precious little evidence of either one.

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During those two years of production,

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Gibney entirely avoided
direct interaction with the Church—

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never once taking the time to contact
the very subjects of his project.

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When Gibney finally emerged from seclusion,
he presented a one-sided and false diatribe

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that can scarcely be called journalism.

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Of course, considering Gibney’s “pedigree”,
this is no surprise.

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His father, Frank Gibney,
maintained a public persona as a journalist.

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But according to a Congressional Report
and the New York Times,

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Frank Gibney was part of a
covert CIA operation

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to release propaganda through book publishing
and the media.

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Apparently the apple
doesn’t fall far from the tree.

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Because Alex Gibney’s HBO piece
is textbook propaganda.

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Gibney hand picking his sources
to serve his version of the truth.

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Among his sources –
Mark “Marty” Rathbun –

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“Shut the fuck up.”

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- a professional anti-Scientologist
with deep-seated anger issues

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who was expelled from the Church
more than a decade ago.

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Gibney quotes Rathbun extensively,

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including one fabricated morsel
in which his prized “source”

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describes a Church facility
as a “prison camp.”

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A buzzword guaranteed to manipulate
public misperception.

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Gibney exhibits a shameful
lack of originality

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with his dramatization of this
so-called “prison camp” …

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– ants crawling up a wall.

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It’s an old cheap propaganda trick

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borrowed from one of the most
reprehensible films of all time.

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… laughable were the intent not so vicious.

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Of course, Gibney never actually showed the
place he’s supposedly “documenting.”

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He didn’t want to.
That would have ruined his story.

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So let’s take a look at what Gibney –
sight unseen – calls a “prison camp”…

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Located in Southern California, the facility
includes an exquisitely appointed

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state-of-the-art audiovisual production
facility spanning 500 acres.

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The property is a self-contained movie studio
dedicated to film and video productions

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that advance the Church’s religious mission.

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And it features immaculate
administrative offices

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as well as dedicated spaces
for every aspect of filmmaking.

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This is the Church’s Film Studio –
aptly known as the “Castle.”

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It’s home to one of the largest
sound stages in the world…

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And it’s open for public tours.

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The sound stage itself
is more than three stories tall

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and is large enough to accommodate
four professional basketball courts.

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Yes, this IS the spot Gibney portrays with
ants crawling up a wall.

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Here’s more of the reality – the film and
video editing facilities –

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with more than a dozen
high definition editing bays.

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… a full music recording and mixing area

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serving every film and video
produced at the studio.

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It includes this greenroom for musicians
and singers between takes.

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Add to all of that a music composition room
for scoring—

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outfitted with the most advanced
equipment in existence.

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The Music Mix room is capable of producing
everything from stereo mixes

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to full, theater-quality 5.1-surround sound.

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But Alex Gibney showed none of this.

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Instead, he showed ants.

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He could have shown the administrative
offices for Church management.

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Here’s the reception.

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Here’s the conference room.

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And the central courtyard.

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But Gibney stayed true to his agenda and left
all of it out of his so-called “documentary.”

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Even the park just outside the offices.

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What did Gibney show instead?

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Ants.

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And while Gibney himself has said,

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“The thing I worry about most
is getting it wrong…”

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Gibney couldn’t have gotten it more wrong.

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After all, this is also the place Gibney
dismissed as a “prison camp.”

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Here are the staff’s living quarters.

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These are the staff apartments,

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each building with its own two-story
lounge and library.

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And here are the apartments themselves.

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The housekeeping facilities
include a central laundry

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that does the staff’s washing,
dry cleaning and even irons their bed linen.

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While as for the rest of the amenities –
here is the staff dining room,

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with a professional kitchen to accommodate
hundreds at every meal.

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Instead of all of this, Alex Gibney showed …

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… ants.

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Gibney might have shown any of the
recreational facilities,

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like this communal pool and barbecue area.

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Or the tennis courts…

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… the basketball courts…

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Or the sand volleyball courts…

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The baseball diamond…

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The soccer field…

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Or the property’s own golf course and
clubhouse where public events are held.

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All of this is the alleged “prison camp”.

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But Gibney wasn’t interested in the truth.

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Because that would have ruined
the story he wanted to tell.

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Gibney’s deceit can be proven
with just a click.

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Because every bit of this footage is viewable

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on the Church’s web site –
and has been for years.

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An actual “documentarian” would have shown
the place he was “documenting.”

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A propagandist will show you this:

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And Gibney’s star witness,
the one who called it a “prison camp”?

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He used to live at the place.

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Here’s where he lived
after he was removed from the Church.

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… a far cry from the Church’s
workers’ paradise….

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… a place he called a prison camp,
that’s actually more like Club Med.

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Then again, this is a guy known to have
a skewed view of reality —

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as evidenced by his frequent
aggressive outbursts.

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“Do you hear me?”

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And the way he addresses his congregation.

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“Shut the fuck up.”

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But Alex Gibney can hide behind
no such excuse.

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He’s simply dishonest, and carrying out a
prejudicial agenda.

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Gibney was offered the opportunity to meet
with Church staff and parishioners

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on 14 separate occasions.

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In fact, Sheila Nevins, HBO’s head of
documentary programming,

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received the same repeated invitations.

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But both flatly refused.

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So there’s really no other explanation
for the fictitious narrative

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contrived by author Lawrence Wright,
strung together by Alex Gibney

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and rubber-stamped by Sheila Nevins.

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All three determined
to make sure that the truth

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never got in the way
of their false propaganda.

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gcui_freedommag:gc-transcript-exterminating-gibneys-propaganda-line-191