Loading Docs 2022 - Shred

Kids message me on Instagram. They'll be saying stuff along the lines of bro, you have an incredible physique. Like how do I look like you? Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it.' And I'll tell them the same thing: 'Eat a lot. Train your arse off."

– Bodybuilder Hayden Kendrick

You want to impart your vibe to the judges . . . Because as much as it's a bodybuilding show, it's also a bit of a pageant as well.

– Hayden's coach Henry Lim

I'm always sort of focused on the improvements that I could make. Because if you sort of want more, then you'll be in the gym working for more. It's always good to have your goals or...to be unsatisfied. It's a very addicting sport.

– Bodybuilder Hayden Kendrick

The film questions whether the “perfect body” that Kendrick is working so hard to achieve is an attainable goal, or whether social media has him chasing an impossible ideal of masculinity.

– The NZ Herald, 1 November 2022

While researching the film, I found hundreds of Kiwi users showing off their physiques on TikTok. My social media feed was slowly invaded by videos of young bodybuilders working out and sharing tips on what their followers can do to make similar gains. Scrolling through my feed, the idealised male physique subconsciously made me feel more critical of my own body. I had a moment of realisation as to why teenagers might fall into this sport.

– Writer/director Harry Wynn in The NZ Herald, 1 November 2022