You can see the controversial trailer below, which is sure to ruffle the feathers of Christians and non-Christians alike, shows teens working hard at the evangelical reform camp in the Dominican Republic, doing pushups, digging holes and running laps.
The focus of Kidnapped for Christ is David, a straight-A student from Colorado who was sent to a school in the Dominican Republic called Escuela Caribe. Run by Americans, Escuela Caribe is advertised as a therapeutic Christian boarding school for struggling youth. Many have praised the school for saving the lives of hundreds of teens, but as former students come forward, the picture depicted becomes a darker one of both psychological and physical abuse.
Logan was given unhindered access to the school in 2006 to conduct interviews, film the campus, and capture the unfolding story of a rescue attempt when David was illegally held at the camp past the age of eighteen.
Taken to the Dominican Republic with no warning after he admitted he was gay, David was allowed no contact with friends or family back home. But through Logan, he was finally able to smuggle a letter to his best friends detailing the traumatic experiences at the camp. The letter startled David's family, friends and community members, and they started working to bring him back to Colorado.
Since the release of the trailer, several additional alumni from Escuela Caribe have stepped forward to share their stories with Logan, who is still collecting interviews in post-production. "I've been getting tons of e-mails from alumni from Escuela Caribe, just thanking us for putting the film out there and giving them a voice," Logan comments in a YouTube update.
On the film's fundraising website , through the Indiegogo service, Logan and the producers list their goals for the film. "The growth of the troubled teen industry, especially therapeutic boarding schools located in the United States and abroad, has given rise to many other allegations of the inhumane treatment of youth and the exploitation of families who are desperately seeking help for their teenagers," the website states. The filmmakers hope the film entertains, shocks, provokes thought and inspires audiences to seek changes to the way these schools are regulated and conducted.
The Indiegogo website lists levels of contribution: Bronze at $25 includes a personal message from Logan; Silver at $100 gets a personal message and a shout-out on Kidnapped's social networks; Gold at $1,000 rates a special thanks on the website; and Platinum at $2,500 gets a special thanks in the film's credits.
Kidnapped for Christ has until March 12 to raise the remaining money. Follow the Twitter feed here .
