Alex Gibney’s documentary film “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief,” which explores the controversial Church of Scientology, has unsurprisingly received a thumbs-down from the Church, with representatives referring to the treatment as “false information.”

A statement from the Church reads: “The Church has documented evidence that those featured in Gibney’s film regurgitating their stale, discredited allegations are admitted perjurers, admitted liars and professional anti-Scientologists whose living depends on the filing of false claims. All have been gone so long from the Church they know nothing of it today. Yet Gibney and HBO stonewalled more than a dozen requests by the Church to offer relevant information about them, with more than 25 individuals with firsthand information eager to speak. To this day, neither HBO nor Gibney can deny that they have yet to present the Church with a single allegation from the film so the Church may have an opportunity to respond. The Church never sought special treatment, only fair treatment.”

The film, based on a book by Lawrence Wright, contains numerous allegations against Scientology practices as well as Tom Cruise, its most visible celebrity disciple; among them is the implication that the Church of Scientology intentionally broke up Cruise’s marriage to Nicole Kidman so he would spend more time promoting its mission, and that prior to their divorce, Cruise had Kidman’s phone tapped.

Going Clear has proved much more palatable to critics; the film has been praised as “a game-changer” and “jaw-dropping.” In addition, it recently received a standing ovation at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It will premiere on HBO in March. “We have probably 160 lawyers [looking at the film],” said Sheila Nevins, president of documentary films at HBO, to The Hollywood Reporter last year.