New from Angel Studios: LIVE NOT BY LIES is a four-part documentary series sharing the heroic stories of religious dissidents against Soviet totalitarianism and their urgent message for the contemporary West: Comfort is the New Gulag.
Because while we may not face actual gulags nor breadlines, the scourge of a new threat has gained a foothold in the United States and throughout the Western world.
In the name of safety, security, and membership in “the system” that spoils you with advantages, we are asked to trade our rights, our freedoms, and our commitment to truth itself.
Through striking examples, the series looks at how language, history, and identity are under assault and what these dissidents can teach us as we prepare to mindfully resist.
Regardless of the political system in which we find ourselves, the core battle is always between truth and lies, and that is a struggle as old as the human story.
Watch trailer:
https://www.angel.com/shows/live-not-by-lies
Angel Announces New Documentary Series “Live Not By Lies”
Based on the New York Times Best-Selling Book by Rod Dreher, Series Shares Stories of Survivors of Soviet Communism as They Warn Against Rising Totalitarianism in Western Culture.
Provo, UT—March 19, 2025 – Angel, the film & TV platform curated by over one million members of the Angel Guild, is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of their latest documentary series, “Live Not By Lies” on April 1st.
This compelling 4-part series is inspired by the New York Times best-selling book of the same name by author Rod Dreher, and will launch weekly throughout the month of April.
Jordan Harmon, President of Angel, remarked, “The Angel Guild’s response to ‘Live Not By Lies’ has been nothing short of extraordinary. We are confident this series will awaken viewers to the profound beauty of freedom while exposing the delicate vulnerability of our way of life under the shadow of communism.”
“Live Not By Lies” dives deep into the lived experiences of survivors of Soviet totalitarianism, translating their stories into a powerful narrative about resilience, faith, and the timeless battle against oppression.
The series aims to not only recount the harrowing realities of past totalitarian regimes but also to explore how these lessons can be applied to the modern-day challenges of what Dreher describes as “soft totalitarianism” in the West.
View the trailer HERE
The series was directed by Isaiah Smallman and produced by RJ Moeller and Dave Jacobson for production company Root/Cause, with Dreher serving as Executive Producer. Associate Producers include John & Nancy Bauerlein and Ed & Jana Grier.
This 4 episode docuseries takes the filmmakers across Europe, from the streets of former Soviet territories to the homes of those who survived one of the deadliest centuries in history. Through personal interviews and historical footage, viewers will gain insights into:
The brutal tactics of Soviet control and the personal courage required to resist.
The contemporary parallels where truth and freedom are subtly manipulated in democratic societies.
Strategies for maintaining one’s integrity and faith in the face of modern societal and ideological pressures.
Dreher states,
“This documentary series is not only about remembering the past but about equipping ourselves for the future. The voices of those who have seen the darkest aspects of totalitarian life must not be lost; they offer us a beacon of truth in challenging times.”
“Live Not By Lies” is set to inspire and educate, offering a narrative that speaks to the heart of human struggle and triumph. The series will be available for streaming on the Angel platforms, launching on April 1st, with new episodes releasing every Tuesday in April.
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About Angel: Angel is a values-based distribution company for stories that amplify light to mainstream audiences. Through the Angel Guild, over 1,000,000 paying members from more than 170 different countries help decide what film and television projects the studio will market and distribute. Angel is behind the global box office hit, SOUND OF FREEDOM, which has earned $250 million in theatrical box office. Learn more at Angel.com
BOOK: Live Not By Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents by Ron Dehrer
Description: The New York Times bestselling author of The Benedict Option draws on the wisdom of Christian survivors of Soviet persecution to warn American Christians of approaching dangers.
For years, émigrés from the former Soviet bloc have been telling Rod Dreher they see telltale signs of “soft” totalitarianism cropping up in America–something more Brave New World than Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Identity politics are beginning to encroach on every aspect of life. Civil liberties are increasingly seen as a threat to “safety”.
Progressives marginalize conservative, traditional Christians, and other dissenters.
Technology and consumerism hasten the possibility of a corporate surveillance state.
And the pandemic, having put millions out of work, leaves our country especially vulnerable to demagogic manipulation.
In Live Not By Lies, Dreher amplifies the alarm sounded by the brave men and women who fought totalitarianism.
He explains how the totalitarianism facing us today is based less on overt violence and more on psychological manipulation.
He tells the stories of modern-day dissidents–clergy, laity, martyrs, and confessors from the Soviet Union and the captive nations of Europe–who offer practical advice for how to identify and resist totalitarianism in our time.
Following the model offered by a prophetic World War II-era pastor who prepared believers in his Eastern European to endure the coming of communism, Live Not By Lies teaches American Christians a method for resistance:
• SEE: Acknowledge the reality of the situation.
• JUDGE: Assess reality in the light of what we as Christians know to be true.
• ACT: Take action to protect truth.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn famously said that one of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming totalitarianism can’t happen in their country.
Many American Christians are making that mistake today, sleepwalking through the erosion of our freedoms.
Live Not By Lies will wake them and equip them for the long resistance.
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