A Prickly Affair – Documentary film By Michael Firus

Unassumingly at the corner of Swanston and Collins St., a  small kiosk offering a variety of tiny cacti  and succulents sits. Founded four years ago by veteran nursery owner  Adam Livingstone, this quirky little establishment is your one-stop shop for all  things succulent and is fast becoming  an  iconic feature of the CBD. Over a hundred years ago Adam’s grandfather started the very first nursery for succulents and cacti in the United Kingdom. And indeed, a century later,  Adam is proud to be continuing the legacy. Fulfilling orders from all over the world, the scope of A Prickly Affair is far greater than  the good-humored Adam and his rustic methods admit. Thematically, this documentary is diverse. It touches on  a range of themes from ‘the vibrancy of old age’ to issues around agriculture, to forming an  exploration of the entity of souvenirs.  “It’s not big… because I don’t want it to be” – an impromptu yet extremely poignant summation of A Prickly Affair by its founder – in respect to what he sells, how he produces them and how he sells them.