Ainsley Gardiner was 4 years old when she saw The Little Mermaid transform into flowers as she sacrificed herself for her landlubbing lover.
That was the first experience of being incredibly moved by the imagery of cinema, she says.
That black-and-white live action film flicked a switch in Gardiner, who went on to become an award-winning producer of evergreen New Zealand films such as Boy and Cousins.
Her most recent offering is the second season of TV series Not Even, a 20-something comedy drama made with production company Miss Conception Films.
