A powerful new documentary is set to reveal sobering camera footage that captures the terrifying lead-up to one of modern history's most horrific mass deaths - the 1978 Jonestown massacre.
The Build-Up to Tragedy
Back in 1974, San Francisco cult leader Jim Jones leased land in Guyana to establish what he called the People's Temple Agricultural Project. While officially named as such, the world would come to know this remote settlement simply as Jonestown.
Jones successfully convinced hundreds of devoted followers to completely uproot their lives and follow him to this South American jungle compound. These same people then put in the hard labour required to build the community from scratch.
Four years later, in November 1978, everything would end in unimaginable tragedy. Jones managed to persuade his followers - including parents with young children - to consume a deadly mixture of grape juice and cyanide poison.
The death toll reached more than 900 people in a single day. Jones himself avoided the poisonous drink, choosing instead to die by gunshot.
Congressional Visit Turns Deadly
The documentary's most compelling material comes from footage shot during US Congressman Leo Ryan's visit to the compound. Ryan had travelled to Guyana with a delegation including concerned relatives who wanted to bring their family members home.
What the camera captures is Jones growing increasingly paranoid and unhinged as he confronted the reality that some of his followers wanted to leave with the congressional delegation.
Rather than allow this exodus to happen, Jones made the ultimate egotistical decision. He ordered what he framed as 'revolutionary suicide' - an act of monstrous proportions from a man who believed his utopian dream was being stolen from him.
Survivor Stories and Lasting Warnings
This first episode of a two-part documentary series doesn't just rely on historical footage. It also features interviews with Jonestown survivors who lived through that horrific day and can provide firsthand accounts of the community's final hours.
The program serves as a chilling reminder about the dangers of cult mentality and how charismatic leaders can manipulate followers into committing unthinkable acts.
For Australian viewers, Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown airs at 8.30pm on Saturday on SBS Viceland, offering a sobering look at one of the 20th century's most disturbing chapters in cult history.
