Photo: Pia Johnson
2024: development, optioned by Unless Pictures, funded by Screen Australia
2021-23: development with co-creator Trudy Hellier
2020: development with delivery of pilot episode and mini bible, funded by VicScreen
Created by Michele Lee and Trudy Hellier
Writer Michele Lee
Executive Producer Unless Pictures
Created by Michele Lee and Trudy Hellier
Writer Michele Lee
Story consultants Trung Le and Diana Nguyen
Producer Eyvonne Carfora
8 x 30 minute, comedy-drama
A glamourous Vietnamese mother and daughter take back control of their lives one manicure at a time.
The glamourous QUYEN and her daughter CAT are living the life of luxury, funded by a chain of nail salons Quyen established as a young entrepreneur. But it’s been years since Quyen has actually worked in
the salons, so she has no idea her husband, GRAEME, has driven their business into the ground until it’s too late. The morning after Cat’s 30th birthday, Graeme does a runner and the two pampered women are left with no money and no home. The only asset (if you can call it that) to their name is the original Paradise Nails salon. A shit-hole that’s been closed for a year, in a rundown plaza, with a rat living large in the dunny. With little to zero work experience between them, they’re virtually unemployable. Quyen and Cat decide to re-open the salon and build the business up again from scratch.
Screen Australia supported our 2024 development. VicScreen supported our 2020 writers’ room, and at that stage the project was called Cloud 9.