The Documentary Sales Company 
Deckert Distribution presents:
Child of the Commune

Child of the Commune
Communekind

Country of production
The Netherlands

Year of production
2004

Format
DigiBeta

Length
50 min

Director
Maroesja Perizonius

Production
Lemming Film commissioned by the NCRV and co-produced by YLE Teema

"Child of the commune" is a documentary film of director Maroesja Perizonius (32) about her personal experiences as a child in the movement of the Indian guru, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. As a six-year old girl, Maroesja followed her mother's example and became a follower of Bhagwan. From that moment on, she had the Indian name, Ma Prem Chandra ('moon of love'), she wore a string of beads and dressed in red. Seven years later, her mother decided to sell her house and her belongings and move with Maroesja to the Amsterdam Bhagwan commune, where 240 followers lived. Some time later, Maroesja was separated from her mother. She went to a children's commune in England. In the film, Maroesja asks her mother how she looks back on that period and if she is aware that her daughter has not had a normal childhood. 

Original language: Dutch
Subtitles: English