Inside Landmark Forum (transcript)

(THE INFILTRATION)

NARRATOR

In the 9th district of Paris, a building like any other:  the French headquarters of Landmark Education.  The Forum finished a week before.  Someone called to offer a chance to master the teaching without paying a thing, by becoming a volunteer assistant.  Still equipped with a hidden camera, I accept the offer, and continue my voyage to the heart of the company.  My first meeting is with the Financial Director of Landmark Education.  She’ll be supervising my work at the company’s financial department.  

LANDMARK FINANCIAL DIRECTOR, PARIS OFFICE

Would you be interested?  For being an assistant, it’s an agreement for 13 weeks, at 3 hours per week.  As we discussed, it can be at different times of the week.  What there is to do – Well, there’s data entry.  It looks like this, in fact.  It’s called the “DFC”, or the “Daily Financial Controls.”  It’s the receipts for the previous night’s course.  

NARRATOR

A real accountant’s job.  No contract or salary, no health insurance and nothing to sign.  In this apartment, 20 people work full time.  Most seem to have the same status:  volunteer.  They’re everywhere, even in the bathrooms.  

[Laurent Richard, reporter for Pieces a Conviction, speaking with a Landmark Education volunteer who is cleaning the bathroom]:

LAURENT RICHARD, REPORTER, PIECES A CONVICTION

You're a volunteer too?

PHILIPPE, VOLUNTEER, LANDMARK EDUCATION

Yes.

LAURENT RICHARD

And this is volunteering?

PHILIPPE, VOLUNTEER

As you can see. So here I am, an assistant. And it's OK. I'm happy to do it because it's why I'm here. I'm here. This needs to be done. So I do it. It's not hard, you can say. –

NARRATOR

I've already met this man, on the third day of the Forum.  He was handing out nametags to participants, already as a volunteer.

PHILIPPE, VOLUNTEER

It's a little hot. I'm tired, but otherwise ok. It's true, I don't want to do this all the time. I have other things to do, you know. But stuff like this here, I chose it. I said, "OK, I'll do it." I like a challenge. You know, try to come up with something. And to see what brings me, to see into my life. As it brings me things that are real. Yeah. Really. Given that I can share with people, and when there's a person here at the same time, like a coach, we share things that are happening in our lives, make challenges. In fact, I notice that it has really changed things. And concretely. Because, sometimes you just say, "It's changing."

LAURENT RICHARD

But yeah it really, it changed things?

PHILIPPE, VOLUNTEER

Yes. It really taught me things - a breakthrough. Because you train yourself to live differently from before, you know?

NARRATOR

Suddenly we are interrupted. A man pokes his head in.

PHILIPPE, VOLUNTEER

Yes Antoine?

ANTOINE, SUPERVISOR, ALSO VOLUNTEER

It's sparkling. Bravo!

PHILIPPE, VOLUNTEER

Yes, it's sparkling. I didn't use water, because drying takes forever. With "Mr. Clean" everywhere, I got off as much as I could.

NARRATOR

He's a supervisor; and also a volunteer. In fact, his job is to supervise Philippe's work. Volunteers, assistants, constantly being overseen by other volunteers: another side of the Landmark company.

LAURENT RICHARD

How many assistants are there right now?

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR

Well, I have no idea.  I – I don’t know.  I know from Guillaume, there are a lot. Maybe 25.  

LAURENT RICHARD

25 assistants?

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR

I don’t know.  But they told me once.  It’s a lot.  

NARRATOR

Volunteers working in the headquarters of a commercial company, is it legal?  Officers from General Information, in this confidential note about Landmark, were worried about undeclared associates in violation of the Labor Code.  The document dates from 1994, so the situation is not new.  More recently, the National Assembly report on cults and money emphasized the problem once again, but apparently didn’t change anything.  [Les sectes et l’argent].  

To make the organization known and help recruit, the methods vary.  Today, for example, I’m asked to organize a gathering at home.  

MAN, VOLUNTEER, LANDMARK PARIS OFFICE

Do you know about “Introduction to The Forum” at home?

LAURENT RICHARD, REPORTER

Uh, No.

VOLUNTEER, PARIS OFFICE

We have to talk about it.  When are you here until?

LAURENT RICHARD

Well, I’m doing a group later, but I’m eating here around 6:00.  

VOLUNTEER, PARIS OFFICE

You’re eating at 6:00?  So maybe we’ll get a few minutes.  Otherwise, another time.  It’s something I take care of.  It’s the possibility to have an introduction to The Forum at your place.  

LAURENT RICHARD

Okay.

VOLUNTEER, PARIS OFFICE

To organize it, invite some friends.  A facilitator will come.  At the same time, your job is to organize a nice event where you invite 3 or 4 friends, family, parents.  

LAURENT RICHARD

But in my apartment?

VOLUNTEER, PARIS OFFICE

In your apartment.

LAURENT RICHARD

And how many of you come to my place?

VOLUNTEER, PARIS OFFICE

No, no.  You can decide.  It’s just a facilitator who comes.  

NARRATOR

Presentation meetings, dialogs with people close to you, phone calls to family, to friends.  

VOLUNTEER, PARIS OFFICE

That’s why it’s better to first call, people from your address book.

NARRATOR

To make Landmark known and recruit even more followers, everyone pitches in, the boss as well as the volunteers.  After all, that’s their mission when they’re at headquarters.  My job as junior accountant doesn’t exempt me.  

PLAYS ANSWERING MACHINE, LAURENT RICHARD

FIRST MESSAGE

Laurent.  I’m the communicator, and I’m offering you to do a summary of the course for you.  So you can get back to me.  

SECOND MESSAGE

Hello, I’m calling on behalf of Landmark Education.  

NARRATOR

He also asks me to enroll everyone around me.  The harassment is ever-present.  

THIRD MESSAGE

I’m calling to see if you have people you’ve invited, or people to contact.  

NARRATOR

One day, I’m asked to call back for a workshop on perfection.  A chance to invest myself more by attending a very strange course, called the ILP.  

LANDMARK VOLUNTEER, ON PHONE

I’d like to speak to you about coming to a presentation of ILP.  

LAURENT RICHARD

ILP.  Remind me, what is it?

LANDMARK VOLUNTEER, ON PHONE

It’s the most remarkable, and the most crazy, program that we have at Landmark Education.  It’s training for mastery of the conversation of enrolling and getting sign-ups.  It consists of 4 weekends that are in Amsterdam.  

LAURENT RICHARD

How long does it last?

LANDMARK VOLUNTEER, ON PHONE

The program?  That’s the thing.  It lasts 6 months.  

LAURENT RICHARD

6 months!

LANDMARK VOLUNTEER, ON PHONE

Yes.

NARRATOR

Six months of unpaid labor for Landmark Education, an offer I’m going to refuse, like all the others.  

My infiltration has lasted a month now.  Tonight, I have an appointment with a Forum participant, from the weekend when it all began.  It’s the doctor, the father who went up in front of everyone to talk about reuniting with his son.  The workshop changed his life.  That’s why, he tells me, he launched a large recruitment operation.  

JACQUES, DOCTOR, FORUM PARTICIPANT

When I left I was ecstatic, ecstatic.  But at the same time, since I know I tend to want to impose on others, I said to myself, this time, I won’t be stupid, and say, “You’re going to do it!  It’s amazing!”  I tried and I managed to do the enrollment.  I said to people, “I had an amazing experience.  I’d really like you to experience it, I won’t make you do it.  I don’t want it because I told you to do it, but for you to be at peace.”  Really sharing it does me good.  

LAURENT RICHARD

It does you good?

JACQUES

It does others good, too.  It’s going to bust out everywhere!  

LAURENT RICHARD

Who did you enroll?  

JACQUES

My whole family.  My wife, my kids, my associate, my assistant.  

NARRATOR

But this doctor doesn’t only enroll people close to him.  With trust built through common experience, he reveals that he’s been recruiting well beyond his family circle.  

LAURENT RICHARD

Your associate is a surgeon?

JACQUES

Yes.  

LAURENT RICHARD

Is she signed up for The Forum?  

JACQUES

Well, she hasn’t signed up yet, but she’s coming to the presentation.  

LAURENT RICHARD

There are a lot of doctors here!

JACQUES

Lots!  You saw them.  Doctors, nurses, psychiatrists.  

LAURENT RICHARD

Why are there so many doctors and nurses?

JACQUES

Because we’re all in the shit.  When we’ve tried every possible treatment on a patient, and they’re useless, what do we do?  We give up.  We do nothing.  We don’t care.  And it bugs you.

NARRATOR

In a few seconds this doctor admits that he just sent his first patient to Landmark Education.  

JACQUES

You share it with the patient.  And I can tell you, these guys are great for enrollment.  

LAURENT RICHARD

Just like that?  A patient you see?

JACQUES

I did it.  Just like that.  

LAURENT RICHARD

Meaning?  

JACQUES

I did it once.  I said, I can’t let him miss out on it.  It’s too obvious that he needs it.  So I told him about it.  But I kept him guessing.  I told him, “What you need is relaxation, self-confidence.”  “Oh yes,”  said the patient.  “Well, there is something that could interest you.”  I don’t know if he did it, I didn’t ask about it.  I didn’t take responsibility.  

LAURENT RICHARD

Did you want him to do it?

JACQUES

Oh yes.  The guy needs it.  If he does it, he’ll be transformed.  

(END PART ONE)