12+Synopsis
Wild Wild Country (2018), Season 1 is a six-part documentary you can watch online on iFILM — the story of an Indian guru and his followers who raised a whole city in the Oregon desert and ended up at war with their neighbors and the United States government.
It starts in 1981, when Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh moves his ashram from India to a remote Oregon county and hands the running of it to his secretary, Ma Anand Sheela. Thousands of red-clad disciples, a brand-new town on a ranch, and right next door a tiny settlement of old-timers who want none of it. What follows: lawsuits, a rigged-seeming election, busloads of homeless people recruited for votes, wiretaps, poisonings, and finally the FBI. Across six parts the series lays out one of the strangest standoffs between a commune and the law in American history, letting both the believers and the enemies speak.
The Way brothers assemble it almost entirely from archive footage and present-day interviews, with no narrator passing judgment. A strong pick if you like documentaries about cults, power, and belief. Stream Wild Wild Country online on iFILM.
6 episodes
S1·E1Part 1
Under the watchful eye of his secretary, Ma Anand Sheela, spiritual guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh relocates his ashram from India to Oregon in 1981.
S1·E2Part 2
The Bhagwan's flamboyant followers irk the tight-knit locals, who pursue legal action against the commune. But Sheela retaliates with a cunning plan.
S1·E3Part 3
Sheela emerges as a provocative spokeswoman. As Election Day approaches, the Rajneeshees recruit thousands of homeless people to fortify their ranks.
S1·E4Part 4
Local officials try to build a case against the Rajneeshees. When Sheela's thirst for power turns violent, the Bhagwan finally breaks his silence.
S1·E5Part 5
The bitter feud between Sheela and the Bhagwan divides the community -- and opens the door for the FBI. At the ranch, a task force amasses evidence.
S1·E6Part 6
The Bhagwan flees the ranch. Sheela and several followers are arrested in Germany. The Bhagwan's devotees -- and his enemies -- reflect on his legacy.
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