Meet Isabel Custer | Filmmaker, Author and Songwriter.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Isabel Custer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Isabel, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
In our society, I think that there’s a gender split in terms of the education of boys and girls regarding risk-taking. Boys and men are encouraged to take risks, to go all in, to work hard, play hard and even to be unafraid of loss. Whereas girls and women are encouraged to rise in their careers but not at the cost of their livelihoods or families. Women are supposed to be steadfast and reasonable – the rock within a family – and those that takes risks and fail are publicly shamed. In my life as a filmmaker, every time I have taken a risk – usually a financial one – in order to do a project, I have moved forward. In short, a risk has never been a setback, even if the financial implication can be daunting.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Currently, I’m in the process of making my first narrative feature in Miami called “Success en tu Life.” It’s about a single Latina mother who, after finding herself frustrated with her acting career, decides to prove herself by directing a Shakespeare play in Miami but struggles to juggle that undertaking with a potentially life changing opportunity when she’s cast in a big-budget series. The movie re-examines our notions of success and demonstrates the importance of not being afraid to fail. It’s crucially important to me that the main character is a Latina, an artist and a mother, because I feel that there’s a painful lack of protagonists with all those characteristics, and we especially don’t ever get to see them dream, fail and then succeed, in that order. My career has taken a winding path as I’ve lived in many places – New York, London and Paris, to name a few. Because of all the movement, I’ve had to start over in many places, which is both enriching and humbling. If there’s any important conclusion I can offer it’s that it doesn’t matter what your age is and that, with a little effort, you can find your tribe anywhere. I love narrative (what most people call fiction) because of what comedy tells us about our fears and what epic dramas tell us about human potential, but I also love documentaries, especially when it comes to biographies. I recently finished a documentary called “1City Soul” about a woman who created and ran an after-school program out of her own pocket for disadvantaged youth in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn for over 20 years. People like Dr. Leisa Herrera who devote themselves to enriching the lives of youth, especially through the arts, and make such a lasting positive impact absolutely fascinate me. Dr. Herrera deserves a ShoutOut all her own! The film in a way endeavors to find the secret sauce to her success with youth development. I’ve also written and performed music, such as my album Girl with No Country or my Spanish single “Conocerte (To Know You With My Mouth)” and you can stream or download on Apple or Spotify.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite aspect of living in Miami is equally the natural surroundings and its culture. I’m Latina – Peruvian and Chilean – so I feel very much at home here, apart from the fact that I grew up here so all my childhood memories are steeped in this tropical weather and the laidback, warm, Latin atmosphere. I would definitely have to take a visitor to The Fairchild Tropical Garden and the Vizcaya Gardens. The Perez Art Museum also has a great collection and a lovely view. I spent my childhood in Coconut Grove so I would take them there, not just to wander around but because my favorite restaurant, Ariete, is there, as well as delicious Panther Coffee. I love the recently renovated movie theater in Cocowalk as well. For books, there’s Books and Books in Coral Gables, which is a must. For great food there is also Le Jardinier in the Design District, which is spectacular. For the culture I would definitely go for a walk in Little Havana’s Calle Ocho, leaning toward Café La Trova or the Cuba Ocho bar for all the paintings and the atmosphere. There’s usually live music at Ball & Chain. A Cuban sandwich from El Sanguich if they feel they must have one. Some place on the Miami River like Casablanca’s is always fun. And of course, the beach! With a preference for Crandon Beach or Bill Baggs since it’s quieter (though not on weekends). A bike ride around Bill Baggs where you can see the remnants of Stiltsville is fun. Depends on the person. Some might like jet skis and some might prefer standup paddle. Both are great Miami-style activities.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people to acknowledge that I hardly know where I would begin. The people that have had the greatest impact on me have been my teachers. Recently, I have been poring over my notes and essays for the Barbadian Poet Kamau Brathwaite, who I studied Comparative Literature with at NYU. His work was astonishingly beautiful and his ideas really allowed me to dream. I hope one day to make a film to do justice to all the marvels that he taught. Paul Thompson, also at NYU, a great British theater director and teacher, was instrumental in helping to shape my understanding of building a scene. If I would go even further back I would have to thank and recognize Alejandra Bunster who was a theater teacher that I had when I was in elementary school here in Miami. She was the first person to tell me that someone like me who likes to draw costumes, write poetry, choreograph dances, act, sing, fix the lights etc, was called a director.

Website: www.abuelacontent.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/isabela.productions

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelaproductions/

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/isabelisamused

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/isabela22music

Other: www.successentulife.com

Image Credits
All photos by Isabel Custer except two behind the scenes stills by Ginny Dixon.