Documentary about 6 brothers who haven't left home for 14 years goes viral

The documentary "The Wolfpack" shocked when it described the isolated life in New York City of six American brothers known as "the forgotten tribe".

The Wolfpack, which debuted this week in North America, follows six siblings who spent 14 years of their lives raised indoors, barely ever leaving their homes. The five brothers—Mukunda, Narayana, Govinda, Bhagavan, Krisna, Jagadesh—and their sister, Visnu, range in age from 16 to 23.

After witnessing a shooting in the Bronx in New York (USA), Oscar Angulo - a former Machu Picchu tour guide - believed that the world was a dangerous and hostile place. From then on, he kept his children locked up in a four-bedroom apartment on the 16th floor of an apartment building in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York. As the key holder, Oscar forbade his wife and children from leaving the house, allowing them to leave once or twice a year and strictly monitoring them.

The six Angulo brothers lived isolated in New York for more than 14 years.

Mukunda Angulo, now 20, explains how they survived in isolation: "We created our own worlds to escape into. My dad was a fan of horror and crime films, so we would memorize scripts, act out and record our favourite films and make DVDs. The films we remade included Reservoir Dogs and The Godfather. We even made costumes and props based on the films we watched."

He continued: "In 2001 - the 9/11 event happened, we never left the house. My father always warned that everyone out there wanted to get us, that we couldn't defend ourselves, that the world was hostile. That event established my father's fear."

That all changed in 2010, when the brothers put on their first Halloween masks to pressure their father into going out. During that time, they ran into music video director and documentary maker Crystal Moselle.

Life-Changing Documentary

Crystal Moselle was a recent graduate of the New York School of Visual Arts when she met the Angulo brothers. "They passed me on the Lower East Side. They had long hair and sunglasses. There was something about them that was intriguing. They looked like a gang of gangsters," the director recalls.

"My instinct told me to run after them and catch up with them at the crosswalk. I told them I was a filmmaker and they said they liked making films too. We made a date." It was only later that Moselle realized that the brothers were in their first week of experiencing the outside world when she met her. She understood that social interaction with them was completely new.

Director Crystal Moselle.

After a few visits, Crystal Moselle and the family developed a special friendship. "Mukunda said I was the only visitor to their apartment and the first friend the brothers had. I was astounded, as if I had discovered a forgotten tribe."

It was also at this time that she began to question the negative aspects of their upbringing and growth. "At first I was dazzled by their charm and creativity. They were well-bred and well-cared for by their mother. But when I began to frequent this house, I saw signs of rebellion against the rules set by their father. They rebelled not because I came, but because it was time for them to grow up. That I gradually learned."

Crystal Moselle received financial support from the Tribeca Film Institute in the US to make the documentary. The film combines real-life footage of the family as well as the family's vast archive of video footage that they have created over the past 15 years.

The Wolfpack caused a stir when it premiered at the Sundance Independent Film Festival in January, winning the jury's award for "Outstanding Documentary."

The film was warmly praised by critics. More than 80% of 70 reviews in American newspapers rated the film positively, and the film received an average score of 7/10. The critics' consensus: "The Wolfpack offers a unique look at modern fears and people's fascination with film. It is a captivating and haunting documentary, an urban legend." Thanks to this work, the group of brothers also received the nickname "the forgotten tribe".

Poster of the movie "The Wolfpack".

"The truth is that people are very nice, far from what my father warned. My parents have been very positive about the show and know that millions of people watch us." However, the youngest of the family, Jagadisa - 16 - who has changed his name to Eddie, shared that the biggest surprise was that the technology he was exposed to as a child was from the 1980s. He was disappointed that the real world was much more modern.

The six Angulo brothers are now pursuing careers in the creative industry. They recently founded their own company, Wolfpack Productions, to pursue their passion.

The Wolfpack was released in North America in late June and is currently showing in many European countries and territories.

According to VNE