Award-winning New Zealand filmmaker Florian Habicht has a new film heading to local cinemas soon and the star of the show, Isey, is living proof that at 101 years old it's never too late to be a film star.
The documentary is called James & Isey and shows once again that Habicht has a sixth sense for finding inherently unique New Zealanders.
With his latest project, he is the first to confess that everything about this story was new for him.
"This was the first time I've shot everything myself," Habicht told Newshub.
"No crew, no sound person, just the three of us, just observing their life."
In the film, lead actress Isey and her youngest son James are preparing to celebrate her 100th birthday and it's shaping up to be quite the party. As you might imagine after 100 years on the planet, Isey has a lot of family and a lot of friends.
On April 3, their film will have a big red-carpet world premiere at the mighty Civic Theatre in Auckland, a very special day given it will be Isey's 102nd birthday.
And for James, it just had to be The Civic.
"I wanted the Civic and there was no compromise," James said.
"I said that to Florian, 'I want the Civic otherwise my mum and I are not turning up to our premiere', and I meant it."
Isey was last at the Civic when she was 18 years old, over 80 years ago.
"And the second time she goes back to the Civic is on the day she turns 102, and for the premiere of her movie," James said.
"That's what I said to Florian - this isn't about me or you, or anyone else, it's about my mum."
Florian gave James and Isey a sneak peek at the final cut of the film ahead of its premiere. So what did she think? Was it a five star watch?
"Ten stars if you like," she said.
So, ten stars it is from Isey.
James & Isey will premiere in New Zealand next month.
