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Amish: A Secret Life

Amish: A Secret Life

2012

Director

Lynn Alleway

Runtime

60 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Miriam and Dave Lapp are a charming young couple with a brood of adorable children. Dave works in and part owns a construction company. They are also members of the 'Old Order' Amish community in Pennsylvania,whose church forbids all technology - though Dave gets lifts to work in a car and the couple,by allowing themselves to be filmed,risk the wrath of church elders. Having outlined their traditional life-style to camera Miriam persuades several friends to be happily filmed and it becomes clear that the Lapps and other,younger Amish,believe that,having been rebaptized to allow a more open evangelical approach - risking excommunication thereby - they feel the need for a change in the community. The film ends as the family consolidates its dream to own their own farm.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

2.9/10

Limited

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Limited

The film focuses on the traditional nuclear family structure of the Old Order Amish. There are no queer characters or narratives addressing non-cisnormative identities.

Gender Representation

Fair

Miriam Lapp acts as a proactive agent in the documentary's momentum. However, the broader community context reinforces traditional gendered roles and conventional domestic stability.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

The subjects reflect the demographic reality of a homogeneous Amish subgroup in Pennsylvania. The film lacks racial blending or diverse ethnic perspectives.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Minimal

The narrative emphasizes the preservation of tradition and the sanctity of the family unit. It highlights a community that voluntarily opts out of modern technology.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no mention of characters navigating physical, neurodivergent, or mental health conditions within the community depicted.

Strengths

  • Provides an authentic look at the specific cultural and religious traditions of the Old Order Amish community.
  • Features Miriam Lapp as a proactive and driving force within the documentary's narrative momentum.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities, non-cisnormative characters, or queer themes.
  • Offers minimal engagement with racial, ethnic, or neurodivergent diversity.
  • Reinforces traditional gender roles and heteronormative social structures without subversion.

AI Analysis

Amish: A Secret Life is a documentary centered on the insular, traditional lifestyle of the Old Order Amish in Pennsylvania. The film prioritizes the domestic stability of the Lapp family and the preservation of religious customs over diverse or intersectional storytelling. Because the subject matter is a specific, homogeneous cultural enclave, the film lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities, racial diversity, or disability. The narrative structure reinforces existing social hierarchies and traditional norms rather than challenging them. Ultimately, the film serves as a window into a community defined by its rejection of modernity, offering a narrow but authentic look at a specific way of life.

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