The Making of Bread and Roses

Award-winning drama Bread & Roses recreated the early days of trade unionist and politician Sonja Davies. Behind the scenes, the $4 million production required 175 speaking parts, and dozens of sets — many built from plywood, "to make something out of nothing". This documentary follows director Gaylene Preston and producer Robin Laing through casting, filming and editing. There is extended coverage of how a cabaret scene was shot at the Wellington Town Hall. Meanwhile lead actor Geneviève Picot talks about the challenges of portraying someone who often kept her vulnerabilities hidden.

...very often when you're playing a role they [audiences] love to see the vulnerability of characters. But with Sonja, her vulnerability's not something that you saw very obviously in her face. She's quite a contained woman, and your face is what you use most on camera to tell people how you're feeling ... to tell that story of being hurt, being vulnerable, yet at the same time appearing not to be; so it's a bit tricky to try and get that across.

– Actor Geneviève Picot, on playing Sonja Davies

Key Cast & Crew

Robin Laing

Subject

Michael Galvin

Narrator

Gaylene Preston

Subject

Richard Smith

Editor

Alun Bollinger

Subject

Barbara Cairns

Director, Producer