Imagine a film about the Catholic Church made in the third century or a portrait of the Amish premiering at the turn of the 18th. The Church of Scientology is in its infancy as a religion, and while it has aptly been the source of intense public scrutiny, few outsiders have approached its believers with a modicum of respect. Director Jeffrey Peixoto spent half a decade earning the trust of his subjects—both inactive and active members of the Church—and in his mesmeric and startling debut, he has transformed their testimony into a haunting meditation on humanity and its relationship with faith. Distinguished by both its compassion as well as its command of the cinematic language, Over the Rainbow is an unsettling, unshakable viewing experience. (CB)