Leaving the Fold*

From the Hasidic enclaves of Montreal, Brooklyn and Jerusalem come stories of conflict, struggle and coercion. Tinged with pain and unexpected humour, Leaving the Fold reveals the processes by which our five young people emerged from a strictly controlled society in order to make a living in a sometimes confusing secular world that offers them endless choices – What should i wear? What will I become? Who am I going to marry? Before, everything was pre-arranged f. Now they have to decide for themselves.

Finding the courage to leave the fold is only the first challenge for most of these young people. Those who decide to take this step become pariahs, often completely cut off from the emotional and financial support of their families.

Ultimately, Leaving the Fold is a film about complex, spiritual journeys in the opposite direction, from the constraints and the strange beauty of religious fundamentalism to the intoxicating uncertainties of personal freedom for those few who choose to escape it.