Looks like it should be interesting:
It’s hard to imagine that there are people living in the USA who have never heard of John Lennon or Marilyn Monroe. But there are – in their hundreds of thousands. The Amish are a strict religious sect, Swiss in origin and now based in the American Midwest, famous for their prudish dress sense, big beards and eschewing of most modern technology. They largely cut themselves off from the rest of society to live in their own communities, devoting their lives to their Christian faith.
But when an Amish child turns 16 they embark on “rumspringa” – a rite of passage that allows them to leave their strict world to experience life on the outside. They then choose whether to be baptised as an adult into the Amish church – to refuse is to be cast out from family and community to live a rather more regular American life. Rumspringa can take years and ends only when the individual believes they are ready to make the choice. It can prove extremely eye-opening for someone so young, sheltered and uneducated as an Amish adolescent – as we see in Amish: the World’s Squarest Teenagers, a new four-part Channel 4 documentary series beginning on Sunday.
Their first visit is to a black family from Kennington, a rough area of south London. The family live in fear of gang violence and drugs, factors outside the experience of the Amish. “I’ve never heard of an Amish person doing a crime,” says Leah, 22, in the film.
Suddenly away from the vast, green open spaces of their homes, the Amish are surrounded by tall buildings and noisy traffic. The sight of the sex shops and brothels in Soho is particularly eye-opening. “It’s hard to understand how people can be so open about something which is so sinful,” remarks Leah, whereas Becky, 18, describes it as “the devil’s territory”.
The group also attend a memorial service for a boy who was stabbed, and visit a group of street dancers who use their hobby to keep themselves away from gang crime. Initially the Amish are shocked by what they see as a rather provocative method of dance, and are fearful of its “rhythm”, but as they spend more time with the other teenagers they become increasingly accepting. “At first I wasn’t sure it was something that I would support,” says Leah. “But I admire them for choosing something that isn’t [about] being a violent person. I think they’ve made a noble choice.”
This position of curiosity, tolerance – and praise, even – is present much of the way through the series, and comes in surprising contrast to the clichéd image held by many that sees members of the sect as obsessively conservative and opposed to every aspect of the modern world. These young people seem remarkably non-judgmental, even when they are shocked.
The series’s producer-director, Claire Whalley, corroborates this by pointing out that there was only one occasion when the teenagers decided not to participate in an activity, and even then it was only two of them. “They were taken to a nightclub in Cornwall and that was the only time that the girls asked to leave,” she says. “There were many incidents where they felt uncomfortable but they chose to stay. For them it was a positive challenge that confirmed their faith and their sense of being Amish.”
This open approach pays dividends – both sets of adolescents, British and American, get on very well. “They play videogames and watch TV, and I’m out in the barn playing with horses but I think it’s great that two people that much different [sic] can still get together and have a blast,” says Amish Jerry, 23.
Their hosts also discover a real respect for the Amish. As one of the Londoners comments, “They’ve taught me there’s more to life than money and girls.” Whether any of the Amish group will choose to abandon their way of life by the end of the series remains to be seen, but it looks unlikely. Indeed each new experience appears only to strengthen their beliefs. Even visiting the majestic Rochester Cathedral proves reaffirming. “I prefer our little church,” says a slightly overwhelmed Jerry. “A big church doesn’t get you to heaven. It’s what you believe in.”
Amish: the World’s Squarest Teenagers is on Sunday on Channel 4 at 8.00pm
Amish teens: pious, prudish - yet remarkably tolerant - Telegraph
A pretty damning post for someone who is waiting to make judgement.