Based on Julia Scheeres’ acclaimed memoir, Jesus Land is a powerful coming-of-age drama set in the conservative heartland of 1980s America.

Julia and her adopted black brother David are raised in a strict, pseudo-Christian household where discipline outweighs compassion and punishment is wielded freely. At school and in their small Indiana community, David faces relentless racism, while Julia struggles with her own sense of alienation. Amid the cruelty of both family and peers, the siblings forge an unbreakable, albeit tested, bond that becomes their only refuge.

When rebellion against their abusive parents leads to them being sent to a reform school in the Dominican Republic, Julia and David are thrust into an even harsher world. They are subjected to humiliation, forced labor, and a system of blind obedience disguised as salvation. Stripped of freedom and dignity, the siblings cling to each other and to the dream of a freer, more compassionate life.

Unflinching and deeply human, Jesus Land explores themes of love, hope, loyalty, race, religion, and family.  It is both a cautionary tale about the corrosive effects of dogma and prejudice and a testament to the power of love and hope to endure even in the darkest places.