A Loving Friend

Director: Jeni Lee
Country:Australia
Runtime: 77'
Language:English
Year: 2009

While ‘ordinary’ pedophiles are despised, many artist pedophiles are excused, continuing to enjoy admiration from the public. With a focus on the Australian artist Donald Friend who lived in Indonesia, A Loving Friend uncovers a circle of Western artist pedophiles who have operated in vulnerable communities across Asia and Australia since the 1930’s. While the Catholic Church is reluctantly facing the exposure of its pedophile culture, the art world is yet to do the same.

A Loving Friend reveals attitudes within influential art circles that will shock some viewers – the accepted notion of a ‘bad’ and a ‘good’ pedophile where the artist is seen as culturally nurturing and caring, causing no harm. Western artists who resided in Asia, such as the Australian Donald Friend, German Walter Spies, and Canadian Colin McPhee successfully groomed and seduced not only the communities they exploited, but also the arts establishment who have bought into the romanticized versions of their lifestyles.

Filmed over 4 years within communities in Bali and the art world in Australia, director and presenter Kerry Negara brings previously ‘off limits’ conversations to the screen with an insight that will unsettle.