Loading Docs 2020 - Siouxsie & the Virus

Director Gwen Isaac intended to fly to Japan to make a film about a Kiwi mixed martial arts fighter in early 2020 — then Covid-19 hit. Instead, she shot a battle of another kind — scientist Dr Siouxsie Wiles trying to convince Kiwis the country should be locked down to keep out Covid-19. Isaac interviewed the pink-haired microbiologist in late March 2020 for this short Loading Docs documentary. Wiles is clearly stressed that the virus could run rampant, but cries with happiness when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a full lockdown. The five week lockdown initially kept NZ Covid-19 free for around 100 days. 

I'm proud of her for doing all this stuff. It can be a bit annoying with calls and everything, at every minute of the day, but I guess she has to so it's fine.

– Siouxsie Wiles' teenage daughter Eve on her mother's heavy workload

Key Cast & Crew

Julia Parnell

Executive Producer

Juliette Veber

Producer

Phillida Perry

Producer

Gwen Isaac

Director, Camera, Sound Operator

Anna Jackson

Consulting Producer

Luana Barnes

Sound Mix