HBO’s Three Part Docuseries SAVIOR COMPLEX Premieres September 26

Published

3 months ago

September 7, 2023

HBO's Three Part Docuseries SAVIOR COMPLEX Premieres September 26

Premiering on HBO on Tuesday, September 26 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT is SAVIOR COMPLEX, a three-part docuseries directed by Emmy(R) winner Jackie Jesko and executive produced by Nick Capote, Alex Waterfield, and Academy Award(R) winner Roger Ross Williams (HBO’s “Love to Love You, Donna Summer,” “God Loves Uganda”). All three episodes will be made available to stream on Max from the same date.

What is Savior Complex about

In SAVIOR COMPLEX, we follow Renee Bach, a young American missionary who was moved by God to found a charity for undernourished kids in Jinja, Uganda. Years later, however, accusations surfaced that Renee had been providing medical care to the sick kids herself, despite having no training in the field. Through Renee’s conflicted journey, the show explores broader questions about “white saviorism” and the morality of international aid work motivated by altruistic or religious goals.

Renee, an Evangelical missionary and high school graduate from Virginia’s homeschooling community, established Serving His Children (SHC) at the tender age of 19. SHC provides food and medical care to undernourished children in Uganda. Social media activist group No White Saviors begins to bring attention to the situation after whistleblowers claim Renee was treating the sick children herself despite lacking medical qualifications, dubbing her the “Angel of Death” and a “poster child for neocolonialism.”

Check out the official trailer

SAVIOR COMPLEX examines the thorny complexities of missionary work when local facilities are underfunded and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) fill the gap to provide resources in developing countries, with Renee denying the accusations and claiming that her work was guided by God and helped save hundreds of lives. With unprecedented access to Renee and those who seek to hold her accountable—including her accusers, lawyers, activists, and mothers—the series tackles pressing and controversial questions at the crossroads of religion, race, and political power.

Renee Bach and her mother Lauri Bach, the U.S. Director of SHC, as well as the activists, lawyers, and whistleblowers trying to hold her accountable, are all featured prominently in the series. No White Saviors co-founders Olivia Alaso and Kelsey Nielsen, SHC’s head nurse Constance Alonyo, volunteer-turned-whistleblower Jackie Kramlich, Jinja Hospital’s chief of pediatrics Dr. Abner Tagoola, and human rights attorney Primah Kwagala, who led a civil suit against SHC, are all interviewed.

Who is making the series

HBO Documentaries presents SAVIOR COMPLEX, A Latchkey Films Production. Directed and produced by Jackie Jesko; produced by Paul Kabango, Derrick Kibisi; executive produced by Roger Ross Williams, Alex Waterfield, and Nick Capote. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Sara Rodriguez.

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