True Films 3.0 - Kevin Kelly

Devil’s Playground
The riddle of how the Amish can maintain their population growth while
choosing to live a stoic lifestyle in the middle of 21st century America is
explored in this incredibly fascinating and brilliant documentary. When
Amish reach 16 years old, they take off their hats and bonnets and immerse
themselves into contemporary America with all its temptations,
before deciding whether to join the puritanical Amish church once and
for all. Many Amish teens delve deep into sex, drugs, and rock and roll
(Amish parties are legendary and filmed here). Many never return home,
and so are eternally shunned by their large families. But an amazing 90%
of Amish kids put beer and drugs binges behind them and take up their
horse and buggy. The films follows the excruciating decisions of Amish
teens wavering on the edge between these extremes, and allows viewers
to enter into the Amish mindset through its youth. You’ll see modernity
in a different light.
By Lucy Walker
2002, 77 min.
Available from Amazon
Rent from Netflix
At dawn (top right) after a long
night of beer drinking and rock-nroll.
Stragglers find their way back
to their cars or horse buggies. One
girl lights up as soon as she is out
of her Amish house. Another girl
(above) who decides not to return
to her church but pursue college
instead sadly tries on her black
wedding dress, which she will
never use.
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