There is an old adage that truth is stranger than fiction, and that has never been more true than in Captive Audience: A True American Horror Story. The three-part documentary, now streaming on Hulu, tells the tragic true story of the Stayner family, who suffered the kidnapping of a son and, decades later, the arrest of another son, Cary Stayner, for the murder of four women.
To tell this story, director Jessica Dimmock enlisted key characters in the Stayner saga, including Ashley Stayner, the daughter of Steven Stayner, the boy who was kidnapped in 1972 and returned to his family eight years later. In an interview with Digital Trends, Ashley talks about her father’s legacy, the media scrutiny surrounding her uncle’s arrest for the murder of 4 women in 1999, and what it’s like to be involved in a true crime story that It has fascinated millions of people for the last 40 years.
Digital Trends: What was it like for you to talk about your father knowing that millions of people would hear and see?
Ashley Stayner: It was a little stressful, just because I’m not used to talking about my dad and my family and it’s like my first time. So it was a little scary to talk to people, especially about something that was so emotional for me. It was a bit difficult.
How did you get involved in the project?
Ashley: Andrew Jacobs [a producer of Captive Audience] he got me first. He sent me a message on Facebook and asked if he was interested in an interview. I had never been offered or involved in anything like this before, so I said, “Sure, why not?”
There’s a part of the documentary where you sum up the appeal of true crime: “Normal people doing normal things until something bad happens.” What is it like for you to be not only a fan of the genre but also a participant in it?
Ashley: I never thought of that until you said it. I guess no one really sits down and says, “Oh yeah, I’m part of this complex genre of TV and movies.” It’s great now that I think about it, to be immersed in it.
What was the hardest thing you learned about your family while filming? a captive audience?
Ashley: I really didn’t understand all the horrible things my grandparents went through. Losing a child is very difficult, and learning about their actual experiences somehow gives me a better idea of what they really went through and how difficult it was for them. And knowing my grandparents now before they died, I knew what they were like as grandparents, but I didn’t know who they were at the time they kidnapped my father and then came back.
What was the most difficult for you during this process?
Ashley: The hardest part was talking about my dad. He was very emotional, just because I didn’t really know him. So talking about it still touches me sometimes. I know everyone thinks their dad is their hero, but I think watching the show and really seeing everything that happened gives me a deeper idea of what kind of person he was. He loved him before, but he loved him even more just because he was a good person. That can’t be taken away.
What was it like to live that media experience that only demanded an answer that you could not give?
Ashley: Right. I mean, when my uncle was arrested for murder, I was in the seventh grade. They all look at you like you know. And my reaction was, “I’m as surprised as you are.” It’s like it’s a shock to me too. I think it frustrates people because they assume you should know everything about him since you’re his family. But he was always distant, even from mom and dad. Nobody knew.
You try to do the best you can because you still want to give people information if they ask for it. I am more than willing to provide any information I can in this situation. But whether or not that’s the answer the reporters want, I can’t do anything but offer what I know.
What was it about Jessica that was different this time?
Ashley: I love Jessica. She’s great. She made this whole experience so casual and really easy to express yourself and express your feelings. The questions she asks make it easy for you to go back to past situations and bring up those memories.
Captive Audience | April 21 | hulu
What do you hope viewers take away after watching a captive audience?
Ashley: That’s a good question. I think I would like them to take away that no family is perfect. Everyone’s family has problems and secrets. I think it was more with my family. At the end of the day, we are all human beings going through life together trying to figure everything out.
My dad and my grandparents were very young when they kidnapped him. There were mistakes, but great things happened that are not talked about. I guess you can’t judge people based on what you see in the media and on the news. If you take a step back and take a closer look, you can see a family that was really traumatized.
I would like a captive audience to bring more sensitivity to the subject. That’s right, but there are many emotions behind it. And I think Jessica brought it up, that there was a lot of emotion and a lot of trauma, and that it’s more than just a crime story. This is the story of my family.
You can stream all three episodes now Captive Audience: A True American Horror Story on Hulu.
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Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn