In the Truth
Are you in the truth?
Seventeen-year-old Tom lives in a loving yet strict Jehovah's Witness family, striving to be a devoted preacher. When he begins a secret romance with his classmate Elina, he unintentionally draws her into his faith. As Elina embraces the religion, their relationship crumbles, and she exposes Tom's double life in an attempt to restore his relationship with God. Excommunicated, Tom's future now lies in the hands of his father, Igor, who must choose between loyalty to his son and his religion – a choice that sets off a chain of events leading to a tragic confrontation over what it means to be "in the truth."
Producers' note
At VFS FILMS, we feel privileged that director Toms Harjo has entrusted us with his deeply personal story. In the Truth is rooted in his twenty years as a Jehovah's Witness, offering an intimate portrait of a rarely seen community from within. Beyond religion, the film explores a universal need – to belong and find meaning.
As producers, we are drawn to stories that create dialogue and challenge simplified perspectives. In a world increasingly defined by opposing sides, In the Truth searches for the space between certainty and doubt, faith and individuality. Rather than judging a belief system, the film seeks to understand the people within it and the emotions behind choices that may seem unfamiliar from the outside.
At its core, this is a coming-of-age drama about identity and discovering who we are when personal desires collide with family, community and faith. The project continues Harjo's artistic exploration of Jehovah's Witnesses through his photographic work and exhibition In the Truth, providing a strong foundation of authenticity.
During development, Harjo has worked closely with screenwriter and consultant Staņislavs Tokalovs (Soviet Jeans, Everything Will Be Alright). The screenplay was developed through the Less Is More Online Workshop 2026 and the TorinoFilmLab Next Feature Online Workshop 2026, transforming personal experience into a touching and universal story.
The project has received development and production support from Latvian national funds. We have begun collaborating with French co-producer Antoine Simkine (Les Films d'Antoine) and Polish co-producer Julia Jendrysik (Rizz Films) to continue financing the project. We are now seeking additional European co-producers, financiers and distribution partners to join us on the journey of bringing this story to life.
Director's note
My name is Toms, I am 30, and I spent the first 20 years of my life as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I believed I would never die because God would soon destroy all non-believers at Armageddon. To survive, I had to preach, attend meetings twice a week, and follow strict rules. I loved my congregation and my family, and felt as if I'd won the lottery – born with a ticket to paradise in my hand.
I've lived inside this closed world: preaching, speaking at conventions, even converting my first girlfriend. I also lived a double life, was excommunicated, and spent over a year shunned by my community. Yet my film isn't about doctrine – it's about a father and son, and a young man searching for identity between faith and instinct, desire and duty. When I was excommunicated, my family bent the rules by quietly keeping in touch. Years later, that fragile bond helped us all leave the organisation. The film is, above all, a tribute to my family.
Every character is approached with love and empathy. At times, the viewer should even feel tempted to belong. I want to portray the fairy-tale world of Jehovah's Witnesses through a believer's eyes and let the audience feel the warmth, unity and family spirit holding it together. Only within that tenderness can the final tragedy resonate – a father who loves his son so deeply that he is willing to lose him, believing it will grant him eternal life.
The believer's world is vivid and saturated. Light breaks through the Kingdom Hall windows, dazzling the congregation. Faith and God are expressed through touch – hands on shoulders, backs and heads, guiding and protecting. Masculine hands symbolise care, safety and warmth; in prayer, palms become antennas of faith. God is a sense of direction – a touch to surrender to. Yet the absence of touch, literal or spiritual, can lead one into a sect.
Screenwriter's note
I truly believe that a deeply personal story of experience is a powerful starting point on the path to cinematic excellence. Our journey together with Toms also began right there. But the next question, of course, is: is the filmmaker capable of looking back on the events that have affected him with self-critical clarity and seeing both sides of them? Working with Toms on the story for the film In the Truth, I've come to realise that he possesses this ability. What draws me in the most is the word "truth" itself and its meaning in the context of this film. It's obvious that there is no single absolute truth – it changes depending on the observer, on who is recording it, and on the purpose for which it is being done.
However, an event that occurred while this story was taking shape made me clearly realise that this film had to be made. I've long wondered how a person who wholeheartedly believes in a religious community perceives the truth. Once, while riding a bus from Riga to Liepaja, I happened to notice six young people – all wearing white, freshly ironed T-shirts with name tags on their chests. They were missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ, followers of an organisation reminiscent of the Jehovah's Witnesses. From the outside, they looked just like ordinary young people – lively, busy with plans, conversations, and activities. Yet something about it all seemed strange. Then I realised – there was a special sparkle in their eyes. The same bright sparkle in all of them. That was their truth.
From that moment on, I've noticed that look in everyone I've met who comes from similar communities. This sparkle both captivates and frightens me. It is the sparkle that arises when a person believes they have found the one and only truth. And that is exactly what – drawing on all our experience in screenwriting – we brought to life in the creation of this screenplay.
Biography
Toms Harjo (b. 1996) is a Latvian director, actor, and photographer. After graduating from ISSP Photography School in 2017, he exhibited widely, including the autobiographical In the Truth. In 2018, he entered Alvis Hermanis’ acting course at the Latvian Academy of Culture, graduating in 2022 and joining the New Riga Theatre ensemble. Alongside acting, Harjo directs films and music videos, exploring personal history and experimental narrative.
Biography
Līva Vernere is a Riga-based Latvian creative film producer. Since entering the industry in 2020, she has produced eight short films across several production companies. In 2024, she joined VFS Films, where she is developing her first feature projects. Working across fiction, documentary, and music videos, Vernere focuses on close collaboration with directors and supporting bold, emotionally grounded stories.
Biography
Uldis Cekulis is a Latvian producer and founder of VFS FILMS, established in 1997. Recipient of the International Trailblazer Award in Cannes, he has produced over 50 creative documentaries and docu-series, sometimes also working as cinematographer. His films, including Bridges of Time, Ukrainian Sheriffs, The Jump and The Rossellinis, premiered at major festivals including Venice, IDFA and Shanghai. He is an EFA member and international documentary mentor.
Profile
VFS FILMS is an independent Latvian production company founded in 1997, producing documentaries, fiction, animation and series. Its award-winning productions and international co-productions have screened at major festivals including IDFA, FIPADOC, Karlovy Vary, Venice, Shanghai and Rome.