Dylan Ratzlaff – An Amish Sin

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) Please tell us the premise for the upcoming film An Amish Sin.

A) An Amish Sin is a story about courage and renewal. Rachel, raised in an Amish community, experiences sexual abuse as a child and her parents want her to marry her abuser. She feels inside her that this is wrong, and she can no longer be a part of this community. She gathers the strength and courage to leave her community only to be found escaping. She is sent to a facility where they try to break her spirit, but Rachel doesn’t let her surroundings define herself. She breaks away and finds herself trying to navigate life in the outside world. It is now up to her to define her life and find who she is.

Q) How was your character originally described to you?

A) This is the write up I was giving when I first got the audition – “courageous and strong, this young Amish girl has been steeped in the traditions of her Amish community — so much so that she has buried the secret of her ongoing sexual abuse by Iddo, a trusted uncle by marriage. Imbued with a sense of shame and inadequacy, Rachel has always tried to be perfect, and has retreated into religion to cleanse her from her perceived sin.  Rachel finds her way out and with hope and courage she learns to trust and believe in herself, never losing faith…”

Q) What was it about the movie that made you want to be a part of it?

A) There are so many things that drew me to this movie. One of the main reasons was the already apparent bright light that shone from Rachel. Even in the breakdown I could see all the horrible things she went through yet the main words that stood out to me were STRENGTH and COURAGE. It is such a timely piece and can be applied to every community where power and position are abused, not just the Amish. I could tell this was a movie that was going to have an impact and bring about change and that is what I wanted to be a part of.

Q) Did you spend much time exploring Amish customs before the movie began filming?

A) I had about a week to prepare! My Mennonite background helped me. I don’t follow the strict, traditional Mennonite cultural rules, it is just my heritage, but I got to talk with my grandparents and explore what they experienced as children. I spent lots of time talking to our Amish consultant and picked her brain a lot on what all the customs were. It was like learning a whole new language.

Q) Talk about working with iconic actress Kellie Martin.

A) Every time I worked with Kellie Martin, my scenes got better. She was such an inspiration to watch on set and she also helped me get through every tough act. It was a dark subject matter, and she was the first person to say that I could contact her if I ever needed help. It was so awesome to have someone like her on set to lead me through what a lead role looked like. She taught me so many things and I can’t thank her enough for making this experience such a positive and growing one for me.

Q) What scenes challenged you the most – either emotionally or physically?

A) I think the most challenging scenes were the ones I didn’t get to speak in. Throughout the movie you will see that the women are very submissive and often don’t get to say anything. With so many things happening to Rachel I feel like I just wanted to scream out for her but wasn’t allowed to due to customs in that community. It was my biggest challenge to communicate what she was feeling through body language. It was a great challenge and I hope that people see her story through her eyes.

Q) The movie comes out Oct. 29th! How will you be celebrating the premiere?

A) I will be watching the premiere with my parents in Los Angeles! Being from a small town this is such a crazy opportunity for me, and I wouldn’t want anyone by my side other than my parents so I’m excited for them to come with me!

Q) What do you think it is about An Amish Sin that’s going to make it a fast fan favorite Lifetime movie?

A) I believe that most people will be able to relate with Rachel in some way shape or form, whether that be relating with the abuse she experienced or going into a situation where you have no idea where it’s going to lead or what your next move is. This is such a timely piece and I think it will inspire people to muster up the courage and stand up for themselves no matter how hard that is.

Q) What are the other projects that you have been busy working on?

A) I just worked on Season 2 of “Cruel Summer” and also have a lot of dance opportunities coming up. I kind of have a dual job between acting and dancing! It’s so fun and I have the opportunity to judge dance competitions across Canada this fall.  I’m looking forward to more acting opportunities as well, as the fall has been busy with auditions.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and the work you do? 

A) Mainly, I want to say thank you for all the support! It means so much to me and sometimes I can’t believe it’s real that I have people out there supporting me from all over the world! I really hope this film inspires them and gives them a nudge to find that courage that is inside of them.