Interview: ‘Escaping Twin Flames’ Co-Creators Can Attest to the Courage of Cult Survivors

“They were made to believe they weren’t capable of functioning without the cult, and they needed to keep working on themselves endlessly,” says Escaping Twin Flames director and executive producer Cecilia Peck. “But that was all lies. Everyone in the cult is talented, conscientious, and capable of finding love and a productive life on the outside.”

Alongside executive producer and editor Inbal B. Lessner, ACE, Peck co-created the Netflix docuseries about the insidious manipulations of the Twin Flames Universe. The three-part series became a smash hit, and stands out as one of the most compassionate documentaries in recent memory. That compassion is evident throughout Awards Radar’s exclusive conversation with the producing duo, in which Peck and Lessner explain their commitment to exposing cults through film, and provide some exciting updates on the cult’s brave survivors. They have maintained a close bond with many of the survivors featured in the documentary, a testament to their sensitivity and understanding as filmmakers.

“Many of us have been in a relationship that initially seems good, but becomes controlling and abusive, whether at home or at work or elsewhere,” says Peck. “That dynamic is exactly the same as in cults. I think people are intrigued by the extremes in these groups, but what really resonates is how intelligent people can be drawn in and influenced by manipulators.”

Peck and Lessner previously created the STARZ docuseries Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult, so they are no strangers to the complex realities of those who fall victim to a cult’s predatory behavior. Across both series, the duo has had to navigate the project’s dual role as a work of television, but also a genuine piece of reportage. Towards the end of the editing process on Escaping Twin Flames, Lessner and her editing team received a hard drive containing highly troubling internal discussions amongst the Twin Flames Universe leadership.

“We used the evidence not only to show how the group initially presented itself as a positive and welcoming space for people looking for love and community, but also to corroborate the testimonies of the former members and to present the inner workings of what we believe is a criminal organization, engaged in tax fraud, medical fraud, forced labor, and human trafficking,” says Lessner.

Attempts to convict Twin Flames Universe co-founders Jeff and Shaleia remain underway. As the U.S. does not have any laws against coercive control, taking legal action against an organization like Twin Flames Universe is tricky. But so long as documentaries like Escaping Twin Flames continue to speak truth to power, there is hope that justice may be served.

Check out our full conversation with Cecilia Peck and Inbal B. Lessner, ACE below.

Hi Inbal and Cecilia! With both Escaping Twin Flames and Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult, you have quickly built a reputation for exposing cults in the United States. What first drew you to this subject matter and why do you think it has resonated with audiences?

Cecilia Peck: Our interest is in exposing systems of control that are masquerading as harmless groups, but whose intent is to exploit people. All of these cults have an outward facing presence that initially seems very positive. They can be promoting mindfulness, health and fitness, communications skills, spirituality, self help, or any number of useful skills. Many of us have been in a relationship that initially seems good, but becomes controlling and abusive, whether at home or at work or elsewhere. That dynamic is exactly the same as in cults. I think people are intrigued by the extremes in these groups, but what really resonates is how intelligent people can be drawn in and influenced by manipulators. It’s important to remember that the abuse, such as women being branded in NXIVM, or having their gender identity or sexual preference manipulated in Twin Flame Universe, is introduced bit by bit over years. These things are presented as tests of courage, of facing our fears, of pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone. Cult members actually believe at that point that they’re doing something positive, even something that can help others. They’ve been separated from their friends and family – anyone who can think critically on their behalf. And they’ve been coerced into accepting an ideology very different from the one they entered with. We’re all curious about how that can happen. And it can happen to anyone. The recruitment is so calculated and so enticing, and the indoctrination is so gradual, that it all appears consensual. It is anything but. 

What was the collaborative process like between the production and post-production teams on Escaping Twin Flames?

Inbal B. Lessner, ACE: It is all the same team! Our editors are the only ones who didn’t go on location. Our small story, archival and production staff alternated between working on location along with Cecilia and the camera team to support the survivors and capture their stories, and then going back to support the editing process in post. We had a detailed outline and storyboard before we filmed anything, but, as is often the case in documentaries, the story can change and evolve based on real life events and archival footage discoveries, so we have to stay open to anticipate the unexpected during filming and in the edit.

Due to our accelerated schedule, we started editing while still filming and reviewing archival, so, while Cecilia directed and was showrunning in the field, I monitored most shoots remotely and was showrunning post. We had weekly meetings where we all discussed the story and brainstormed what interviews, verité and visuals we needed to shoot in order to make the cuts work better. We rely on every team member to bring their ideas and sensibilities into the creative process.

CP: Once production wrapped, we were all hands on deck in the edit bays, helping to shape the cuts and adding archival, graphics, animation, and music. There are so many intertwined creative, logistical, and legal decisions that have to be made every day on a series like this, in addition to continuously holding space for and communicating with our cult survivors, and we all collaborate on every aspect from beginning to end.

Inbal, you and your editing team are coming off an exciting win for Best Edited Documentary (Non-Theatrical) at the 74th Eddie Awards. What was your reaction when you won the award, and why do you think this specific team of editors worked so well together?

IL: We faced a very tough competition with high-budget and celebrity-driven shows and films in our category, all incredibly crafted and beautifully edited, so it was a big surprise and a great honor to be recognized by ACE. We were thrilled that our peers could see past the outrageous story and acknowledge the craft and care that went into every single splice. I was assigned to accept the award on behalf of our team but I was shaking so much I had to hold my hand on my ribs so that my heart would not explode or leap out.

I think we were very fortunate to assemble an editing team who, although they had not worked together before, were all great team players and complemented each other’s unique talents! They checked their egos at the door, and were up for doing what was best for the series. Kevin Hibbard, Mimi Wilcox, Martin Biehn, and myself each worked on one main story arc, becoming experts on that “character,” and then we weaved all four as parallel storylines. We treated the series as a 3-hour film that we tackled as a team, not as three stand alone episodes. This is why the tone and story development feel cohesive. Troy Takaki, ACE, joined me at the end as a finishing editor, and brought his fresh eyes and ideas to lock picture. The five of us collaborating with Cecilia, with our story and archival producers and assistant editors – it was truly a dream team.

Cecilia, your interviews in Escaping Twin Flames are handled with incredible sensitivity, as the cult survivors share intimate details with you and your viewers. How do you cultivate a safe environment for subjects to divulge traumatic information?

CP: Well, Inbal and I develop these projects from the concept stage on. I’m not a director who walks onto a set and starts asking probing, triggering questions to people I don’t know. I talked to our contributors for two years prior to filming. By the time they were in front of the camera, they were prepared and not blindsided by the questions or the production. It’s a big decision to be in a documentary, especially as a former cult member. These are people trying to rebuild their lives. We talked a lot about what it would require of them and what it would mean. I spoke to their family members too and answered questions about the process. We discussed what they were willing to reveal on camera, and also what evidence they felt comfortable providing. They shared videos, photos, emails, and documents that served as evidence of how the cult was operating, and that also explained the pressure they were under to accept the belief system of the cult leaders. You see the cult leader alternately praising them and then berating, insulting and shaming them when they question the doctrine. It’s very chilling to watch. Also, the contributors had all seen our previous series, SEDUCED: Inside the NXIVM Cult, which had actually helped some of them recognize that they were in a cult. They knew we were survivor-focused filmmakers, and that we would create a safe and supportive environment for them during filming. It  was important to us to minimize any further harm to these trauma survivors. On the set everyone in the crew was trauma-informed and able to provide support and reassurance. We went over the questions beforehand, and allowed for breaks and deliberately did not rush them. We had therapy available before, during, and after filming, and we raised funds ourselves to provide additional support when what was offered by the network or production company wasn’t sufficient. We had an open channel of communication throughout the entire process. The series is told through the voices of former members, and through the mothers who still have children in the cult. They were using the documentary as a way of standing up against the abuse of power in Twin Flames Universe, of getting their truth out, and as a form of narrative justice. We wanted our viewers to understand how intelligent, professional people could be lured into what became such an abusive and controlling group. 

The topic of transgenderism is prominent in Escaping Twin Flames, as several subjects were coerced into transitioning. That kind of subject matter can often veer into harmful stereotypes or misconceptions, but your series handles the issue with extreme care. How did you approach the topic and ensure it was represented fairly in the show?

CP: We were very careful with how, under the guise of being LGBTQ-friendly, TFU had recruited within the gay, bi, and trans communities, and then proceeded to force a strict heteronormative ideology onto its members. They paired same sex couples as “twin flames” and then pressured one of the members to transition because, according to their spiritual teachings, each couple had to be made up of a “Divine Masculine” and a “Divine Feminine.” Jeff and Shaleia state that “homosexuality does not exist.” We consulted with GLAAD on how to tell this story without propagating the myth that transitions can be coerced, and we reached out to gender expert Dr. Cassius Adair, to help us navigate the topic with utmost sensitivity to the trans community. 

IL: The former members shared their materials with us, and we were able to access thousands of documents including photos, screenshots, emails, and communications as well as over 1000 hours of TFU-produced videos, from former members and from the cult’s social media platforms. We used AI tools to scan this mountain of evidence and identify the most compelling excerpts. Late in our editing process, we also received an additional hard drive containing recorded Zoom calls of the cult’s inner circle business meetings, and featuring the most troubling and potentially illegal interactions. We made sure to locate the most relevant nuggets, and we presented many of the excerpts to Dr. Adair – as well as to cult expert and sociologist Dr. Janja Lalich – to seek their analysis of the material. We used the evidence not only to show how the group initially presented itself as a positive and welcoming space for people looking for love and community, but also to corroborate the testimonies of the former members and to present the inner workings of what we believe is a criminal organization, engaged in tax fraud, medical fraud, forced labor, and human trafficking.

The show’s theme song – Solitude (Feslmann + Tiley Reinterpretation) by M83 – is incredible! How did you find and select the song for use in Escaping Twin Flames?

CP: I had that song in my head during the entire making of the series. The Felsmann + Tiley reinterpretation has a mysterious, otherworldly feel to it that conjures up the hypnotic pull of the cult.  And the lyrics “Somewhere back in time // I left a part of me // I wanna see if you can try // to bring it back to me” also underscore the courage of the survivors who broke free of the cult and rediscovered their voices. They never lost hold of who they were at the core, and their ability to escape is a signal to others trapped in cults that they too can break free. When Netflix agreed to license the song for us, we celebrated. Opening credit music sets the tone for a series. I haven’t spoken to Anthony Gonzales about it, but I hope he loves the way his music is used. I also think the entire original soundtrack by Daniel Lessner is gorgeous and evocative.

Were there any interviews or bits of archival footage that you wish could have been included in the final cut?

CP: We delivered enough material for four jam packed episodes, but the sweet spot for the network was three and we had to let go of scenes and interviews that we loved. We filmed two of the mothers, Debbie and Maxine, going to see Dr. Cassius Adair to seek advice on how to best communicate with their children who had transitioned in the cult. It was incredibly moving to hear them trying to understand their kids and use the correct pronouns. Dr. Adair counseled them that whether they believed the transitions were coerced or not, they needed to embrace who their children are now. You see them doing their best to respect who their children are today. There were also reunions between members of the cult who hadn’t seen each other in years. They’re very emotional meetings and those were hard to give up. We had another contributor who gave a wonderful interview which we had to eliminate entirely. It would have given the series even more depth, especially in corroborating the pressure people were under to do what the cult leaders wanted. Also, three of the survivors and one family member, Paula, went to meet with Moira Penza, the prosecutor who had successfully presided over the trial of NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere. They were seeking her advice on whether Twin Flames Universe could be convicted of crimes and how to launch an investigation. We don’t yet have laws against coercive control in our country, and it takes a very experienced prosecutor to convict a cult leader. The information that Moira Penza shared with them was fascinating. We just didn’t have room in the episodes for all of these incredible scenes. We had to find the right balance between our own footage, and the wealth of archival material which amounts to irrefutable evidence of the wrongdoing in the cult.

Have you maintained relationships with any of the subjects featured in the documentary? Can you talk a little bit about how a few of them are doing today?

IL: We are in close touch with all of them. On the night before the series launched on Netflix worldwide, we arranged for all of the survivors and family members who appeared in the series who could make it, to come to a private premiere screening in Los Angeles. We watched all three episodes together. Many of them had never met in person, since this was an online cult, and their in-person meetings were very emotional. It can also be challenging when the show goes public and we wanted everyone to be together to support each other. 

CP: They are all thriving. Keely is applying to law school and is advocating for other cult survivors. Marlee is back in college and excelling. Elle is producing music and writing a book. Jessi is creating content that exposes Twin Flames Universe and other cults, through her ‘Jessi’s Stories’ YouTube Channel. Victoria and Shanise are in successful careers. All of them — Andrea, Arcelia, Lenae, Sara — they’re all working, doing well, reunited with family, friends, and rebuilding their lives. The moms in the series and Paula are also supporting each other and helping each other cope with having their loved ones still under Jeff and Shaleia’s control. Cults drill into members that they can’t function on the outside, and that leaving means giving up on themselves. It’s not easy to leave, and it takes work to get back on your feet, but these former members serve as examples that a much better life is possible once you break free. Twin Flames Universe recruited highly intelligent, productive people to run their business. Everyone worked for the organization and made money for Jeff and Shaleia. They were made to believe they weren’t capable of functioning without the cult, and they needed to keep working on themselves endlessly. But that was all lies. Everyone in the cult is talented, conscientious, and capable of finding love and a productive life on the outside.