Cleaning on Disney+ and Hulu is an awkward watch. It depicts children, all with blond hair and convinced they are brothers, subjected to torture at the hands of people claiming to be their relatives. The series is an adaptation of JP Pomare’s novel, In Cleaningwhich is based on a horrifying true story.
Cleaning is based on an Australian cult called The Family, which tortured Australian children for decades.
as scary as it sounds Cleaning is based on a true story. One of the darkest stories in Australian history involves a cult called The Family, which forms the basis of the show.
The family was founded by Anne Hamilton-Bryne, known as Adrienne Beaufort on the series, after meeting renowned physicist Dr. Raynor Johnson, nicknamed Dr. Bryce Latham on the series. Anne started the cult after learning that she could influence the actions of the women she taught yoga to. With the encouragement of Dr. Johnson, Anne reinvented herself, calling herself the female reincarnation of Jesus Christ.
Anne’s followers, posing as midwives, brought children to the cult through illegal adoptions. They housed the children on a secluded property near Lake Eildon. Anne convinced the boys that they were siblings, dying their hair blonde and dressing them in matching outfits to give credence to her claim.
The youths were beaten, starved and fed benzodiazepines to keep them docile. Dr. Johnson and his henchmen also prescribed psychedelic drugs to the children. The series accurately details the cruel conditions at home. Program co-director Jeffrey Walker said The Guardian that the showrunners were careful not to inflict trauma on the child actors.
Most of the series, especially the first few episodes, reflects the actual narrative. Guy Pearce, who plays Dr. Latham, said The Guardian who resisted the urge to investigate the real story:
“I’m always nervous about the amount of research I do. It can be useful at times, but it can also open cans of worms that complicate what I’m initially picking up in the script.”
Walker said the goal of the series was to capture the torture children experience in cults. “Your past is with you all the time, you carry it with you in the present constantly,” Walker said.
Cleaning deviates from the actual story as the series progresses. For example, it shows that the victims got a semblance of justice. In real life, the orchestrators of the crime did not get to pay for their actions.
Dr. Johnson died months after authorities raided the mansion. Anne fled into exile and avoided jail after facing lesser charges of fraud. She died in 2019, aged 89, having etched her name in history as one of the few female cult leaders.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn