Debutante - Award-Winning Short Film (2021)

Irish Film & TV Academy Award-nominated, multi-award-winning drama offering a closer look at one of the most devastating policies of Jehovah's Witnesses.
A devoted Jehovah's Witness is forced to reconsider her beliefs during a judicial committee hearing led by three congregation elders.
Written, directed and produced by Kamila Dydyna.
Awards & Nominations:
Irish Film & TV Academy Award (IFTA) Nominee: Best Short Film (Live Action) 2022
Winner: Best Irish Fiction Short, Kerry International Film Festival 2021
Winner: Best National/ International Film, @ Richard Harris International Film Festival, 2021
Winner: Audience Award @ Chicago Irish Film Festival, 2022
Winner: Best Short Film @ Achill Island Film Festival, 2022
Nominee: Best Irish Short, Dublin International Short Film & Music Festival 2022
Nominee: Best Writing (Kamila Dydyna) & Best Actress (Úna O'Brien) @ Richard Harris International Film Festival, 2021
Nominee: Best Sound Design (Killian Fitzgerald / Avatar Audio Post Production) @ Fastnet Film Festival 2022
Official Selection/ World Premiere: 33rd Galway Film Festival, 2021
Reviews: "One of the most powerful short films I have seen in some time, Debutante is a moving tribute to the vision and dedication of writer, director, and producer, Kamila Dydyna. With heartrending and touchingly believable performances from both lead roles, Meg (Úna O'Brien) and Sam (Richard Neville), it tells the story of a young couple balancing personal happiness when their feelings are set in opposition to their religious beliefs." FILM IRELAND
Audience feedback:
"It’s incredibly skilfully written and made. It takes just 18 minutes to break your heart and make you incandescent with rage."
"Absolutely true to life (...) and devastatingly honest in the portrayal of the damage of the judicial system and the shunning policy."
"So simple and efficient in its storytelling (all killer, no filler, atmospheric and not a moment wasted), but really arresting, such strong performances."
Starring:
Úna O'Brien
Arthur Riordan
Richard Neville
Sam McGovern
Gary Mullan
Noelle Brown
Anthony O’Boyle
Director of Photography: Barry Doyle
Editor: Eoin McDonagh
Original Score by Natalia Tsupryk & Ray Harman
Audio Post-Production: Killian Fitzgerald
Executive Producers:
Pierre Montigny
Kosmos
Daniel Fitzgibbon
Chris Stuckmann
Scott Homan
Beniamin Enea
Associate Producers:
Kimberly Springer Payea
Andre Jackson
Jack Grey
Matthew Kirwan
Piotr Michalski
Official Partners: Atheist Ireland
The story behind the making of Debutante: linkedin.com/pulse/making-film-against-all-odds-kamila-dydyna

[@alexcampbell3032]

I loved this girls Gnome messing attitude!

[@Seminex222]

there is no such thing as unconditional love among JW's my sister was in a similar situation. she got kicked out - even from home. she is shuned by my parents - it brought me and my sister closer together i was never baptised so my parents do not shun me - but i have not talked to them in 8 years! they chose their family - so have I

[@womanofcharacter]

This is so accurate. They get off on it. Humiliating and invasive. You had sex, it happened, end of. There shouldn't be all these questions.

[@derekmaverick5986]

Holy hell I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. Showing my friends a calvacade of news reports, court cases, and KZbinrs makes me look like a conspiracy theorist. But this is a work of art.

[@alexandriaocasio-smollett5078]

Agreed. Well said. As an aside, after how thoroughly and shamelessly news outlets and supposed journalists have made the conscious decision to stop telling the truth about virtually everything, I view people labeling me a “conspiracy theorist” as a compliment😂 .

[@user-jt2vv1zj6z]

Well done❤ Thank you for exposing them. I'm so sorry for the many people that have endured this treatment by Jehovah's Witness elders. ❤

[@lh1673]

Was this shown from 2021? Just found it today. Thank you for bringing it up. What a sickening and creepy community I was in, didn’t know what was taking place in the so-called 2nd room😮

[@DixieVogel]

this is extremely well done and very true to life. to the point i haven't been able to watch the entire thing in sequence. because going through this experience is every bit as traumatic as it's presented here, right down to 'that one elder' who clearly seems to be enjoying the sexually explicit questioning. i've only been able to watch a little at a time...but thank you for telling the truth so powerfully with this short story.

[@alexcampbell3032]

I'm so glad that you liked my comment Kamila! I regard your film as a beautiful and deeply moving work of art. I look forward very much to your future output.

[@JosephHuntelvisnspiders]

Powerful stuff, well done Úna and all involved!

[@alexandriaocasio-smollett5078]

This is incredible. Its the first video I’ve seen that manages to capture the emotional/mental/spiritual turmoil and agony of the process of being a child (I was 11) who was unethically encouraged and irresponsibly permitted to dedicate their life to Jehovah *years* before they were capable of understanding what that means, made mistakes, was judged by men (who are in no position to judge local food contests.. let alone someone’s heart in order to decide whether they should be disfellowshipped), and then being shunned by everyone they’ve ever known and loved. As an aside, I personally find the fact that they are *finally* acknowledging how cruel, unscriptural, and torturous their process of dedication, baptism, judicial committees, disfellowshipping, and shunning is *solely* because they lost money and government protections in Norway to be more insultingly evil than the actual process they’ve been using for decades.

[@Tamingsouls]

These questions are creepy, disrespectful, and just wrong! They made her feel like she was going straight to hell!! And why the hell should anyone confess anything to another human being! Human beings suck...If someone really feels guilty about something and wants atonement, it's only between him "His heart" and God. No one deserves such torture, she was in love, and she's not a f*** whore! Thank you for such a great movie and amazing actors, and most importantly, thank you for scooping on such issues!

[@noctoi]

These are just the "socially acceptable" questions. For many of us, the interrogation is much, much worse :(

[@j.c.b6473]

This is so well done and accurate. Just like my committee meeting. Pervs asking unnecessary questions. The person I had s*x with betrayed me too. Showed false remorse and then shunned me. But in the end we disfellowshipped are better off. No one needs conditional love. Since I left I have made real friends and new family. ❤

[@betoarenaz]

Gracias Kamila.

[@Bravedog2017]

Just shared it on reddit. There should be more pointing on what is happening in this apostate cult.

[@HandyKindaGuyUK]

This was a scary accurate video. Should've included the announcement though, that's the worst part of it all.

[@jay54929]

Apparently Jehovah is all knowing but you can hide things from him...hmmm

[@jmsoulcatcher1281]

Absolutely stellar.

[@intrepidtraveller8212]

"ALL THIS DETAIL" - These perverts love it - they sit within these JC's [Judicial Committees] reeling with feelings of power and as some have hinted, perhaps having a great thrill from it. Regretfully, I have been on these Tribunals. The movie is accurate.

[@violettaposadzy8668]

It is a very sad.😢😢

[@biagiopiemontese2852]

Very interesting and realistic. It can help to open eyes

[@nanotasza]

Dzięki za ten film!

[@olivesheridan1175]

Disgraceful behaviour from those so-called men of God 😪

[@john_carter8243]

😭😭😭😭

[@Fmblogger04]

I'm a grown ass woman in my 40's. Baptized in my early 20's ( convert). I met a 'Brother' we dated for 3 months then started making plan for marriage ( both of our 2nd marriage). We had sex multiple times in the month before we got married. We're adults & we're not virgins. But we DID get married. Anyway, he committed adultery a year later & I went to the elders because I wanted a divorce. To spite me, my ex went to the elders to tell of our premarital fornication. He knew he was being DF'd for adultery so he wanted to get me DF'd as well. Had been on 20 years & never had a JC for anything. And it was pretty much exactly like this! All the dirty details & alot on the JC were younger men -- it was all weird & uncomfortable.

[@AJ-yv9ss]

Windows in a Kingdom Hall???

[@bellanatorres-4548]

Most of the halls in my area have windows

[@AJ-yv9ss]

@@bellanatorres-4548 What country are you from? Here in the US I have not seen one kingdom hall with windows

[@violettaposadzy8668]

​@@AJ-yv9ssgPoland , England K.H have windows, what's the problem?

[@AJ-yv9ss]

@@violettaposadzy8668 US doesnt have windows.

[@violettaposadzy8668]

@@AJ-yv9ss a weird.😬

[@kaybee4132]

When religion and "religious leaders" forget the grace and mercy of Jesus... Thank the LORD He doesn't remove His fellowship from us. Folks need to understand that. Great message.