I Was a Witness 2026

Synopsis

What begins as a quiet photography project turns into a harrowing journey into the depths of a parallel religious world. Photographer Andreas Reiner meets former members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses—people who had the courage to leave a strictly controlled religious community. In open, poignant conversations, they talk about their childhood and youth within the tight corset of religious rules, psychological pressure, sexualized violence, conversion therapy, and the existential rupture that came with leaving.