In Rory Kennedy's four-part HBO documentary “The Synanon Fix,” the director explores Synanon, an organization founded in Santa Monica to help people struggling with drug addiction. Founded in 1958 by former alcoholic Charles “Check” Dederich, Synanon was the nation’s first inpatient rehabilitation center designed for people suffering from addiction issues. Dederich was one of the first people to try to get drug addicts to help each other instead of relying on therapists and drugs.
After collecting donations from people across the country who wanted to support the rehabilitation facility, Synanon became a “non-profit organization” with more than $30 million in assets, including community property and farms in California. The members, made up of addicts and “squares” (non-drug users), were encouraged to participate in the Synanon game, an attack talk therapy. Children were separated from their parents and raised by guardians. Eventually the members shave their heads and are forced to follow Dederich despite Dederich's brutality and manipulative behavior. This series explores how this led to the formation of a cult.
“I wanted to make this film because I saw what began as an incredible drug treatment program that was forward-thinking, forward-looking, and forward-looking,” Kennedy said. said after the series premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. “Their pillars were prohibition on drugs, alcohol and violence, but 20 or 30 years later they bought more firearms and had open bars than any organization in California history.”
Mr. Kennedy has the latest lead documents investigating the recent Boeing crash, and through archival footage and audio recordings made at Synanon, as well as interviews with former members of the cult, reveals the inner machinations of Dederich's organization. is exploring.
variety We spoke with Kennedy and the series' writer and executive producer, Mark Bailey, about the documentary series, which will air weekly beginning April 1, and about Boeing and her brother, President Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He talked about what was going on in the election.
How did you hear about Synanon?
Bailey: Art Pepper and Laurie Pepper wrote this wonderful memoir called “Straight Life: Art Pepper's Story” and they mentioned all of this going on in Santa Monica. That sounded totally wild. I thought, “Why have I never heard of this before?” With documentaries becoming more serialized, there being a bigger canvas to tell larger stories, and audiences interested in cults, this story seems like there's something timely to tell. Ta.
It was painful to watch members of Synanon being verbally torn apart by their Synanon friends during a game. But it seemed to work for some people. Was it a good technique or a bad technique?
Bailey: The game was found to be highly effective as a therapeutic tool, and very effective against Synanon's first population of addicts. For addicts, having to play the game a certain way and face certain truths created a level of self-awareness. It was effective, but when it was moved to the broader community, the square, its function was different. It came off treatment and became more aggressive and controlling and not completely healthy.
Kennedy: Many people say they've reached a level of intimacy and connection thanks to gaming. Partly because we had a chance to talk about everything. So, especially in the early days, there was a sense of being left unsaid. You have these conflicts in-game, and outside of the game you can hug each other over coffee and build another level of connection. By the end, you can clearly see the deterioration of this game. Chuck would be able to eavesdrop on the content of the game and confront people, but people could not conflict with him.
The series chronicles Chuck's dramatic transformation from a sober man trying to help other addicts to a destructive drunk who asks women to shave their heads and leave their marriages for new partners. However, in the documentary series, former members remember him as a “very moral man” and someone who “knew how to fix the culture.” Are you surprised that former members still like Chuck?
Kennedy: Your question is impossible to answer. Because (Synanon) was one thing and then another. Chuck was different. The people there were one thing, but then they changed. It's interesting how so many things happened and the impact it had and how people make sense of all this.
Bailey: This is a cautionary tale not only about the dangers of unchecked power, but also about the dangers of building a community around a single personality.
Born in Synanon, a four-part documentary directed by Geeta Gundbir, was released on Paramount+ in December. Will production be affected if projects are being created at the same time on the same theme?
Kennedy: This happened with Downfall, and it also happened with our various projects, some of which are currently in development. Our approach to it is to stay on our path and make the best movie possible and not try to rush it or try to beat out other projects. We've always focused on making the best film we can, and that worked out well for us. The truth is that 20,000 people passed through Synanon. So there are many different points of view. Synanon is such a vast story that he even felt that 20 movies could be made about it.
Why are documentaries about various cults so popular these days?
Kennedy: I think one theory is that cults became popular when society felt a little out of control and unstable. We're living in a time where people are dealing with climate change and AI, and we're at a time when there's division in Congress and things can feel a little out of control. When that happens, many people turn to alternative models. And I agree with the suggestion that we are also living in this post-COVID-19 situation where there is a lot of loneliness and alienation that we have not yet recovered from.
The 2022 film Downfall: The Case Against Boeing investigated two Boeing 737 MAX crashes that occurred within five months of each other in 2018 and 2019 and killed a combined 346 people. The documents reveal a culture of reckless cost-cutting and corporate cover-up driven by Wall Street greed. What do you think about the Boeing 737 Max 9 accident on January 5th?
Kennedy: The only way Boeing would make safety changes is if forced to do so by the government. There are also financial reasons, but I don't think Boeing would do it alone. I'd like to call a Congressional hearing because the FAA is investigating Boeing and there are some good things happening, but to really get to the nitty-gritty, what's going on at the CEO level and the board level? I think you need to investigate whether it is true or not. Why does this culture of prioritizing finances over safety continue? Just by looking at why this particular door came loose, why there was no bolt, and what happened to the actual plane. I don't think I can (answer) that. We need to address bigger systemic issues.
Your brother Bobby Kennedy is running as an independent for President of the United States. Do you think Trump's chances of re-election may increase?
That's my concern and that's why I publicly opposed his election. I think Biden is a great president and very effective at actually getting things done. But I also think there are a lot of issues at stake this election cycle, and there's a good chance Trump will be elected. It will come down to a small number of votes in a small number of states. The poll I'm reading on Bobby right now says he's taking 70% of the vote from Biden and 30% from Trump. Therefore, I am very concerned that his candidacy will lead to the election of President Trump. That would be devastating. I don't want to waste my time playing against Bobby. It's not my choice, but I think the stakes are too high and I can't sit on the sidelines unfortunately.
The first episode of “The Synanon Fix” began airing on HBO on April 1st. His next three episodes will air weekly and end on April 22nd.
