Doco ‘honest’ look at Gloriavale

| Greymouth Star |
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After more than a decade of silence, the religious community of Gloriavale opens its doors in a new tv documentary series.

Devotion: The Gloriavale Story, premieres on June 28 and airs across three consecutive nights on TV Three and ThreeNow.

Bound by a strict adherence to the Bible and largely separated from the outside world for over 50 years, Gloriavale has long been one of New Zealand’s most controversial communities. Now, in the wake of criminal convictions of community members for historical physical and sexual abuse that have reverberated across the country and ongoing public debate and scrutiny, the community allows access — inviting cameras inside for an intimate and revealing portrait.

Devotion brings together perspectives from within the community and from those who have left, uncovering a complex reality: a community grappling with its past while striving to protect its faith and way of life. For the first time, members confront historical crimes and defend their right to a future shaped entirely by Biblical teachings.

Inside the community, members describe Gloriavale as a place of purpose, spiritual conviction, and resilience. Beyond its boundaries, former members share a starkly different perspective — one marked by repression, family separation, and the emotional toll of life within Gloriavale.

Executive producer, former West Coaster Dame Julie Christie, says: “I was born on the West Coast, just half an hour from where the community is now based. It took many, many months to build the trust in order for the Gloriavale community to feel ready to share their side of the story, and I feel privileged that they ultimately agreed. “When we first met, Overseeing Shepherd Stephen Standfast said they believed there was no way to tell their story without confronting the past — and that’s exactly what they do in this series. They don’t shy away, even from the most difficult questions. We also spoke with people who have left the community, who offer the other side of the story with equal candour and, at times, surprising perspectives. I believe the best documentaries present both sides and allow viewers to make up their own minds.”

With exclusive access to 50 years of Gloriavale archival footage — most never seen publicly — alongside contemporary footage and interviews from a wide range of people within and outside the community, the series traces how Gloriavale was built and how its identity has been shaped across generations of controversy. The series features familiar faces, including Dove Love — last seen by New Zealand audiences at 22, newly married to 17-year-old Watchful Stedfast.

In Devotion, viewers see just how much her life has changed over the past decade. It also follows Paul Valor, whose wedding was featured in the same documentaries more than 10 years ago, but who has since left the community.

Peter Righteous of Gloriavale says: “The Gloriavale Community has opened its doors to Dame Julie and her team because we came to trust the people and the process. We believed she would be fair and honest, and the decision to take part was supported by the whole community. About 25 members volunteered to be interviewed because they wanted their voices to be heard in the midst of a lot of scrutiny of our life.

The crew recorded the interviews and many aspects of our everyday lives over three weeks. We are yet to see the series, but we are looking forward to it.”