The Five of Us – The Life of the Lawson Quins

On 27 July 1965, Auckland fish’n’chip shop owners Sam and Shirley Ann Lawson became parents of a boy — Samuel — and four girls — Deborah, Lisa, Shirlene and Selina. The birth made world headlines as the first set of quintuplets conceived using hormone treatment. But out of the public eye it wasn't happy families: Sam and Ann split up when the quins were six and in 1982 their mother was murdered by her abusive second husband. Director Mark Everton’s award-winning doco regathers the quins, who discuss the ‘quin bond’, tragedy, resilience and their tumultuous lives.

Being one of five, we feel things even when we don't know or the others aren't there. So I've always said: imagine trying to feel different responses coming from four other people. The messages can get quite mixed up. It's the bond that twins have ... it's this quin bond.

– Deborah

Key Cast & Crew

Mark Everton

Director, Writer, Producer

Robert Boyd-Bell

Producer

Dianne Lindesay

Research

Dee Bolland

Editor

Graham Wallace

Sound

Graeme Patrick

Camera