A Sinister Sect Colonia Dignidad is a documentary TV series based on the isolated colony established in Chile lead by German fugitive Paul Schäfer during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in Chile in the 1970s. The series has 6 episodes, each ranging from 45 – 60 minutes.
Netflix describes the series as:
A colony of German Christians with a charismatic and manipulative leader establishes itself in Chile and becomes instrumental to the dictatorship.
– A Sinister Sect Colonia Dignidad review does not contain spoilers –
We get the story of the horrible atrocities in Colonia Dignidad from different members of the colony. There are various perspectives that the documentary puts forth, but the general consensus is it was a horrible place.
Its longest leader was German preacher Schafer at whose hands the residents of the colony suffered not only brainwash but also horrible abuse. The worst sufferers were the children, who were taken to him at night. We can only assume what happened there.
Schafer brought forth the teachings of Christianity to Colonia Dignidad that he preached throughout Germany. The documentary takes us through the early years of the colony, how it came about, and Schafer’s history with the colony. Thanks to the colonists, we get tons of pictures and videos from the time. Combined with the subtle reenactments, it totally creates a chilling atmosphere.
The most horrifying parts in A Sinister Sect Colonia Dignidad, however, are the accounts of the children, now adults, who used to stay at the youth home. This is in the formative times of the home, and one person says that Schafer wasn’t a violent man, although he was a molester. I can’t imagine the depth of those words.
I wish I could tell you that the colony started out great and then fell into the wrong hands. Unfortunately, it started with the wrong people, in the wrong hands. Schafer had a magnetic personality, as people like him usually do. But beneath that personality though, was a rapist and a torturer.
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A Sinister Sect Colonia Dignidad shines because it does not depend on too many visual treats. The music is low and subtle, but just enough to keep us invested. However, the thing that I found the most interesting was how many people the documentary brings forth to put the point across. It’s absolutely horrifying when the (now adult) children talk about the horrible abuse they suffered.
You can hear the anger and resentment in their voice. The stories and horrifying, and I know I am repeating this, but it is truly difficult to think that people, children, lived like this and went through this! The more A Sinister Sect Colonia Dignidad delves into the story, the worse it gets. I know it’s shocking for this to get worse, but it does. Oh, so much worse.
Summing up: A Sinister Sect Colonia Dignidad
A Sinister Sect Colonia Dignidad is chilling. The real-life horrors that cults can present and how poverty and desperation can push people to get into horrible situations at the hands of the earth’s worst people. Definitely not a documentary for the faint of heart.
A Sinister Sect: Colonia Dignidad is streaming on Netflix.
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