‘Keep Sweet: Pray And Obey’ Trailer: New Netflix Documentary From Emmy Award Winner Rachel Dretzin

From Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Rachel Dretzin comes a documentary like no other, “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey.” Based on the true events of the Yearning for Zion Ranch raid—a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) —the four-part documentary series tells the story of the courageous men and women who escaped from the criminal cult.

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Dretzin has previously worked on “Who Killed Malcolm X” and “Frontline.” She is also a co-founder of Ark Media and works as a principal producer, director, and writer within the company. Dretzin isn’t working alone on this project, though; Grace McNally will serve as co-director and producer. McNally has worked on the documentaries “Slay The Dragon” and “The Forgotten Epidemic.”

“Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey” will be executively produced by Jeff Skoll (“Lincoln”), Diane Weyermann (“P.O.V”), Miura Kite (“The Pacific”), Zachary Herrmann (“The American West”), Rachel Dretzin, and Alison Dammann (“The Weiners Circle”).

Here’s the official synopsis:

In 2008, a dramatic raid at the Yearning for Zion Ranch in West Texas generated attention around the world, as law enforcement agents uncovered stunning evidence of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse and took 400+ children into custody. 

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, directed by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Rachel Dretzin, gives viewers an in-depth look into the secretive polygamous sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) and the rise of self-professed prophet Warren Jeffs. 

The four-part documentary series features never-before-seen archival footage and harrowing personal stories from some of the courageous women and men who escaped. From forced underage marriage and pregnancy to a complete unraveling into an oppressive criminal cult under Warren Jeffs’ rule, the story uncovers extraordinary bravery battling tyrannical control in modern America.

“Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey” will be roughly 45-minutes long for each episode. The documentary will be making its way onto Netflix on June 8, 2022. Watch the trailer below.