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Much of what I do with The Curb is in a bid to shine a light on voices that may not often get the chance to be heard. That mindset carries through with director Marion Pilowsky’s tenderly empathetic and joyfully curious documentary Isla’s Way. Here we meet Isla Roberts.
Isla isn’t a lesbian. She’s not a lezzo. She’s not a dyke. She’s just Isla Roberts.
She lives with her ‘friend’ Susan and throughout the course of the film we hear their stories. Isla is persistent and resilient, living for her country and the ponies she rides with. She’s shaped by the land and the land has shaped her soul and world view.
In reflecting on the past, we see the way Australia has changed and shifted thanks to the women of the nation. Isla is a proud feminist, and her efforts to ensure that the women of the region are supported in their endeavours is rewarded by having a street named after her.
Isla talks about a man she meets in a supermarket who has a broken back. He sees her hugging a friend and he asks ‘What does one need to do to get a hug like that?’ Isla’s response is a tender one, outlining the process of how a hug works. It’s that kind of physicality that feels like is missing in the bond between Susan and Isla. While some things change, Isla’s mindset about how sexuality doesn’t. Susan clearly loves Isla, and Isla loves Susan, but that love exists outside of labels.
Isla’s Way is a frank and open film, yet never a dour one, with natural comedy emerging throughout Isla’s story. It suggests a transference of the ages. Isla talks about her wedding taking place in the registration office, where she misremembers briefly an absent husband (her now deceased partner Allen), meanwhile a wedding with her grandson takes place in a field surrounded by friends and family. Elsewhere Isla recalls the last time she saw her twin sister before she passed away. Later, twin great-grandchildren are born.
The warmth of the past lights the way for time to move forward. Isla knows she will die soon, and so be that when it happens, but she also knows that her actions now will leave a mark. She talks about the collective actions of women and how men would never group together to organise a pony club where disabled folk can ride. She’s right too.
I’m grateful to know Isla. I feel many others will be too. I look forward to spending time with her again in the future with this gem of a film. I cherish these kinds of films completely. They’re part of what makes us who we are.
Equally so, I cherished the chance to be able to talk with Marion about the making of Isla’s Way, and what her experience with getting to know Isla and her extended family was like. We talk about the importance of telling stories that are ‘unsexy’ or not attractive for funding bodies, and the power of seeing an 87-year old woman on a cinema screen.
Isla’s Way is currently making its way around Australia after its debut at the 2023 Adelaide Film Festival. Please do yourself a favour and make time for Isla’s story. Thank me and Marion later.
