De kinderen van Ruinerwold

This series tells a shocking story, of a father, motivated in part by his strange religious beliefs, who imprisoned and abused his children and other family members. For years, those who escaped said nothing; eventually, one son not only left but also blew the whistle. The programme follows the older children as they contemplate their father's potential trial; by now, he has suffered a stroke and may not be fit to be tried. But I found I wanted to know more about things the programme didn't tell us: about how those who escaped adjusted to life outside, and why the early escapees felt unable to speak. Instead, the series concentrates on their more considered reflections, and the drama of their own private stories is passed over. The result is repetitive and surprisingly calm (though we do see some terrifying video clips of the father in his lair). Maybe the story was just too hard for its participants to tell.

Jessica Villerius' work resembles more a monumental collage than your standard documentary. One gets the impression that hundreds of hours of footage was spread out on the cutting table - and when it all was cut down to size, it was stil many hours too long.

For reasons unknown - fatigue, budget, loss of focus - everybody then gave up. Unfortunately the decision was made to release.anyway - probably with a "this will have to do" mentality.

If you are deeply into dysfunctional families or cult behaviour - you may this tantalising. If, on the other hand, you watch documentaries, mostly, to improve your general knowledge; you may find this watch similar to wondering around an enormous museum, with seemingly endless corridors, covering a topic you, once, thought you were interested in.