The riddle of how the Amish can maintain their population growth while choosing to live a stoic lifestyle in the middle of 21st century America is explored in this incredibly fascinating and brilliant documentary. When Amish reach 16 years old, they take off their hats and bonnets and immerse themselves into contemporary America with all its temptations, before deciding whether to join the puritanical Amish church once and for all. Many Amish teens delve deep into sex, drugs, and rock and roll (Amish parties are legendary and filmed here) never to return home, and to be eternally shunned by their large families. But an amazing 90% of Amish kids put beer and drugs binges behind them and take up their horse and buggy. The films follows the excruciating decisions of Amish teens wavering on the edge between these extremes, and allows viewers to enter into the Amish mindset through its youth, and to see modernity in a different light.

— KK

Devil's Playground
Lucy Walker
2002, 77 min.
$22, DVD

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