Inside Gloriavale, New Zealand's Controversial Christian Community
Inside Gloriavale, New Zealand's Controversial Christian Community
Essay by Beatrice Hazlehurst
Photography by Cam McLaren
Published in VICE
20 October 2016
VICE: Tell me a little bit about how your Gloriavale project came to fruition. They're notoriously reclusive, how did you get access?
Cam McLaren: I heard about the community around four years ago and found it really intriguing, but it wasn't until 2015 when when I decided to get in touch with them to discuss the idea of visiting. We basically went through a pretty big process of back and forth conversations, although it felt more like they were interviewing me. Eventually they welcomed me in, but it was only decided that I could take pictures when I had arrived and met with Gloriavale's leader, Hopeful Christian.
The Gloriavale project is also featured on the Leica Fotografie International website