As part of the Port Washington Public Library’s Pride Month celebrations, filmmaker Isabel del Rosal will be present for a showing and discussion of her award-winning debut feature film “Walk With Me.”
On June 17, the event will take place in the Lapham Meeting Room from 7 to 9 p.m. It is co-sponsored by Be the Rainbow, a Port Washington-based LGBTQIA+ inclusion and visibility organization.
“I’ve been in Port a lot and I’ve gotten to know the community,” del Rosal said. “The town is so lovely and I’ve spent a bunch of time there.”
The film follows the story of Amber (Devin Dunne Cannon). After leaving her husband, it forces her to start again at 30 with her young daughter.
During this process, she meets Logan (Bridget Barkan), a free-spirited musician. While trying to figure herself out, their friendship becomes an unexpected romance.
The film is about womanhood, love and self-acceptance, according to del Rosal, who also wrote and edited it.
“What I was trying to do with the film was tell an honest story,” she said. “And so, from that perspective, I feel like this story, in particular, has a reach that’s a little deeper. It doesn’t have a Hollywood slant.”
Despite the film’s lesbian protagonists, del Rosal describes it as a love story first.
“We tend to categorize things so much, but at the end of the day, what it’s really about is love,” she said. “Of course, there are the nuances of somebody finding themselves, grappling with the struggles of society and how coming out will affect all their relationships.”
“Walk With Me” has received multiple awards and nominations, including the Spirit Award and Best Actor at the Brooklyn Film Festival, Best Emerging Director at the Manhattan Film Festival, Best LGBTQ Film at Lady Filmmakers, Best Female Composer at the Toronto International Women’s Film Festival and Best Feature at the New York International Women’s Film Festival.
Del Rosal emphasized how wonderful it has been to watch the film flourish. Her team created it, including 16 original tracks, with a budget of only $80,000.
“My cast and I just keep getting messages from people that are impacted and moved. Somebody said to me, ‘I didn’t even understand what love could look like until I saw this,’” she said. “I think it comes from just an honest storytelling point of view and really nuanced and raw and vulnerable performances.”
Those who wish to attend may register on the library’s website.
