In the 6the Position of the most watched series on Netflix Canada, Rael: the prophet of the aliens brings the guru back into the headlines almost 50 years after founding his cult. The former investigative journalist is one of the speakers in the French documentary Montreal JournalBrigitte McCann, who infiltrated the Raelian movement for nine months in 2003. The author of the book Diary of an Intruder looks back on his disturbing experience.
• Also read: 5 amazing facts from the Netflix documentary about Rael
Investigative journalist Brigitte McCann during her infiltration into Raël Chantal Poirier's cult, Le Journal de Montréal
Why did you agree to take part in the Netflix documentary? “Especially because the well-known production house in France convinced me of the seriousness of its approach. We wanted to tell the story of the movement.”
Were there moments when you were afraid? “One evening I found myself two meters away from a person who knew me as a journalist. I panicked. My car was far away and leaving would have been very suspicious. I thought: maybe it's time to stop? Chantal [Poirier, la photographe du Journal de Montréal qui a infiltré le mouvement avec elle] went to talk to him and he wanted to leave after the party. When Raël returned somewhere, he was surrounded by armed bodyguards. He already had an aura of paranoia. There was also a lot of vilification against the media.
One thing Rael said that you'll never forget? “He stood on stage and said, 'I can't prove what I'm saying is true, but you can't prove what I'm saying is false.' That's the premise of everything he says does.”
Chantal Poirier, Le Journal de Montréal
Were you afraid for your physical integrity when the report was published? “The Raelian movement demonstrated in front of the Journal building for several days. I had security guards because I received threats. They tried to tarnish my reputation, not necessarily as a journalist, but as a woman. Because they treat women as second-class citizens who have to be submissive and serve men.”
“Also during a book signing at the Montreal Book Fair. About fifty Raelists surrounded me in a kind of silent procession, placing small mirrors in front of me so that I could look at myself. Some left me threatening letters, which I handed over to the police. Dealing with fanatics was worrying.”
Brigitte McCann during her “baptism” by Raël Chantal Poirier, Journal de Montréal
Raël and his right-hand woman, the biochemist Brigitte Boisselier Chantal Poirier, Le Journal de Montréal
Do you have any after-effects of these 9 months in this cult? “I have never experienced so much stress in my life. But the more I saw things, the more I wanted them to come out. I had entered a secret and devastating world. I wanted to denounce the human cloning hoax. I felt this mission.”
What are you most proud of in all this work? “This investigation won the first-ever Judith Jasmin Prize at the Journal de Montréal.”
How does it feel to see Raël in the news again? And knowing that it is still widely used in Japan? “Last year, documentaries about Raël were released in Quebec. This coincided with the 20th anniversary of the “announcement” of the cloned baby. So there was a new interest. During the filming, which took place in Paris during the pandemic and I was shown scenes in which we see Raël with his followers in Japan, I have to admit that I was disappointed. I would have liked what happened in Quebec to have been the end of the movement. Plus, I was naive to think it was over.”
The membership cards of the two intruders Chantal Poirier, Le Journal de Montréal
Brigitte McCann's report in the Journal de Montréal Chantal Poirier, Le Journal de Montréal
What outraged you most among the Raëlians during these nine months? “How people didn't react! At meetings where we heard outrageous things and conspiracy theories, no one responded! They discouraged criticism and questioning and encouraged total surrender. That’s what really struck me: the vulnerability of human psychology to indoctrination.”
Chantal Poirier, Le Journal de Montréal
What would you say to a follower today? “I think we have to try to figure out why people take this approach. Through loneliness? Because they don't have a family? This is where you need to take them. In Quebec, many people didn't care about aliens. We talked more about being part of society's elite. Raël deserves our contempt, he despises others and needs women who are submissive. He needs to feel like he has power over others. But I have developed compassion for followers who have been taken advantage of during a difficult time in their lives. We shouldn’t judge them.”
Members of Raël Chantal Poirier's sect, Le Journal de Montréal
Chantal Poirier, Le Journal de Montréal
Why do you think there are still such ardent supporters? “I only have part of the answer because pigeonholing your logic and common sense to follow someone who tells so many lies still baffles me. My explanation is that it meets a need. That means finding a community, being part of a family, or even climbing the career ladder that allows you to have power over people. These people need it so much that they forget to think. Faced with the Y of doubt, you have two options: either you do not listen to this voice of conscience and accept everything from the cult, or you leave it.
Brigitte McCann and photographer Chantal Poirier Journal de Montréal
-The 4 episodes of the documentary series Rael: the prophet of the aliens are on Netflix.