Film news: The true story behind Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaac’s ‘The Salt Path’
The Salt Path is set to hit the big screen on May 30, and many have felt captivated by the emotional and intriguing storyline portrayed in the trailers.
Based on a prize-winning memoir by Raynor Winn, the film will become an adaptation aiming to show the reality of the struggles of homelessness and loss across South West England.
One such intrigued audience member is Film News Blitz’s Joe Matthews, who is here to lay it out for you.
Who is Raynor Winn?
Raynor Winn, or Ray, is the writer of The Salt Path memoir that was dedicated to the pages back in 2018.
It details the true story of Ray, played by two-time Emmy winner Gillian Anderson, and her husband Moth Winn, played by BAFTA nominee Jason Isaacs, as they walk the South West Coast Path from Minehead, to Land’s End, and back to Poole, after finding themselves penniless and homeless.
The book saw national success, becoming a Sunday Times best-seller in 2018, as well as being shortlisted for the 2018 Wainwright Prize, winning the inaugural RSL Christopher Bland Prize, and being the highest selling book in independent bookstores in September 2019.
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The Narrative
After a business deal with some friends goes awry, the Winns lose a legal battle forcing them to pay off unpaid debts, leading to the loss of their farm.
With Moth being diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration, which is a brain condition categorised by movement and cognitive disorder, the couple decide to walk the 1,000 kilometre South West Coast Path, which is the UK’s longest waymarked foot-path.
Receiving only weekly tax credits for money, the pair replace their antique rucksacks with cheap new ones, along with budget sleeping bags, thin waterproofs and a tent purchased on eBay, and set off on their walk.
On their journey they come across several interesting moments, such as spending night at a campsite being offered dubious methods of relaxation.
The story is ultimately about finding purpose and meaning in a life of struggle. It explores the mortality of man, and many early viewers have reported emotional departures from cinema screens.
The Film’s reception
Directed by four-time Tony Award winner Marianne Elliot, The Salt Path began filming back in 2023, and premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
Deadline’s Peter Hammond said: “The Salt Path is an inspiring story of love and resilience in a situation that might otherwise break most people, especially a couple entering their later years with little hope against an unforgiving system.”
“With Helene Louvart’s excellent cinematography a real plus, The Salt Path is a cinematic journey worth taking.”
Filmed on the Somerset coast, the Somerset County Gazette were also full of praise, with Milly Vincent saying: “You can feel Lenkiewicz’s script tugging firmly on heartstrings in more intimate moments as the couple stare enviously at holidaymakers tucking into a plated meal or huddle together for warmth inside their tent as rain lashes the fluttering canvas.”
Despite a small cast, The Salt Path claims an industrious team including Anderson and Isaacs in the lead roles supported by Ted Lasso’s James Lance, Hermione Norris, and Robbie O’Neill to name a few.
Set for full release in the UK on May 30, the one-hour and 55-minute runtime is sure to have you keenly invested in the lives of Ray and Moth Winn as they set off on a life-changing venture of self-discovery.
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