Synopsis/Details
Every generation has its challenges, and for some, those challenges compound.
In this zany, Zarathustran, zeitgeisty, teenage coming-of-age movie, cults and religious themes are explored. At the same time, cliches are exploited in the voice of a generation that has never known anything other than being digitally available, influenced and manipulated.
Act 1 – Lies are told.
Young, charismatic Finn convinces his fun and loyal friends to start a mock cult to impress the girl of his dreams, the beautiful but demure Miriam, who, unfortunately, is a devout Jehovah’s Witness. The Cult of the Silk Bathrobes takes shape and gains a significant following on social media. Finn’s friends keep coming up with ideas to make the mock cult even more cultish. Miriam is not impressed and, rightly so, views the cult as a circus.
Act 2— Lies are exposed
The cult following is growing and rapidly getting out of control. Finn pushes the legal limits to get Miriam’s attention, with limited success. Pushing boundaries puts him firmly on the radar of Miriam’s father, his mothers and law enforcement.
Miriam's father steps in, and Finn believes he's lost Miriam, and there are no further chances. Forced to face his failure to win the girl, he realises they’ve created a movement that may be bigger than his original goal. Finn has solidly manifested himself as a cult leader.
Act 3 – The truth shines through
Finn believes he's lost Miriam for good and is in full-fledged cult-leader mode. Miriam is struggling with the restrictions of her faith, her interest in Finn and the cult, and a bad case of FOMO when she reads that Finn is organising a historic End of Summer Liberation Festival that teenagers and young people from all over the world will attend to celebrate. Finn and his friends, who purchase a cult compound with donations, cause enough of a stir in town that riot police show up to interrupt the festival, but not before Finn gives his final speech and declares his prophecy, when a freshly liberated Miriam walks onto the compound to be with him.
