Linda Niccol on funding Poppy

Posted Tuesday 25 May 2021

Linda Niccol on funding Poppy

Securing funding was just one of many challenges screenwriter/director Linda Niccol faced while making Poppy, a movie about a young woman with an extra chromosome. 

Linda tells The Big Idea how casting the perfect Poppy, creating the right support for her, and ensuring the production stay on its very tight four-week filming schedule were also among the hurdles to overcome. 

“This was not your usual production. Scheduling required really experienced heads of departments. But we had a great team,” Niccol says. 

Fortunately Niccol's great script attracted top producers with good connections, including WIFT NZ members Alex Cole-Baker and Robin Laing.

The story is a warm but gritty and layered tale of a young woman’s search for independence as she tries to take control of her destiny. 

Poppy is about possibilities and capabilities rather than bowing to preconceptions," says Niccol. "It’s saying, if life hands you an extra chromosome, you’ve got to make it count.”

Click here to read the full article 

Poppy is in cinemas Thursday 27 May. Go along and have your heart warmed!