Born in London, Marianne Elliott is one of the great theatre directors of the modern age.  I had the chance to see War Horse at the Lincoln Centre Theatre in New York in 2011, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time when it came to Brisbane in 2018.  Both won Elliott a Tony Award for best director and, in addition to many other honours, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018.

It’s stunning that despite a successful 30-year theatre career, she has never made a movie before now.  In an interview with Deadline at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, Elliott explained she was often approached by studios, but they’d disappear when she expressed a desire to make a film centred on an older woman.  That changed during COVID-19 when read the popular memoir The Salt Path and realised it would be the ideal source material for her feature film directorial debut.

The narrative is centred on the true story of a 50-something-year-old couple, Raynor and Moth Winn, who turned heartache into inspiration in 2013.  They were left homeless after the bank took their farm in Wales following an investment-gone-bad, and Moth had been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease that was starting to affect his movement and memory.  Unable to get public housing, the pair made the impulsive decision to hike the 1,000 km South West Coast Path in England.  By day, they could enjoy the beautiful British landscapes and by night, they could cook up cheap noodles and sleep in a small tent.

The Salt Path is a wonderful movie to reflect upon.  It’s a reminder that life is about people as opposed to material possessions.  It serves as motivation to get out of one’s comfort zone and experience new things.  It shines the spotlight on poverty and the challenges homeless folk face in obtaining government support.  It asks us to look kindly on the downtrodden and help whenever we can.  So many scenes will put a smile on your face – from a young café attendant providing them with free food through to Moth becoming a makeshift busker.

The two leads, Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) and Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus), offer beautifully authentic performances.  They portray Raynor and Moth as loving, strong-willed individuals who won’t be defeated despite the odds.  They’re so easy to like!  French cinematographer Hélène Louvart (Pina) deserves praise for her work in capturing everything from the broad, desolate landscapes through to the simplicity of life in small coastal towns.  There’s also a chance the film will encourage others to take the same walk.

See it and spread the word.  The Salt Path sticks with you.