Leila McDougall wears many hats – not just an Akubra. As well as being a farmer, she’s a mother, a teacher, a writer, producer, actor and former Miss Australia. Most recently, she’s harnessed all those skills to become a mental health advocate in a self-funded film called ‘Just a Farmer’ which is currently being shown in regional cinemas. Her motivation is to inspire a better conversation around mental health, withher young children at the heart of what she does.
FARM TURNED FILM SET
Leila’s farm in Victoria’s west has recently been turned into a film set showcasing the most spectacular bush scenery, whilst highlighting a crucial message
“It was one random idea one day, and I’m a professional crazy person. I just do stuff that keeps everyone on their toes.”
Leila and her husband have both worked in the mental health space but felt the conversation around suicide is still too silent. Wanting to be the person to address theissue head-on, Leila started planning. “Once someone dies by suicide, there’s also very little support for those left behind. Sometimes we forget the support people,” she shares. Leila uses her own father as an example. He suffers from bi-polar, which has been challenging for her mother to be around every day. “She actually attempted suicide. So, people who support the person, are suffering as well.”
Leila has brought those challenges to life on the big screen. “My poor husband was filmmaker by day and farmer by night. He’s superman really. He’s my biggest supporter.” The epic task involved cleaning porta-loos, negotiating with lighting around livestock and making sure the farm-work looked authentic over a 7 week shoot which needed to capture four seasons.
GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS
“I pinch myself. It looks like a Hollywood film.”
Leila plays a newly widowed mother of two, left in the care of an alcoholic father-in-law. “It was a huge, emotional role,” she says. It’s been quite the roller-coaster for her,from lying her way into acting class, to starring in her own movie. Leila’s biggest wish is for people to simply – talk. “I hope this film generates such huge conversations in farming communities and the sacrifices they make to ensure the world has food.”
“People talk about work/life balance. There is no such thing on the farm. It is our life. It’s 24/7. 7 days a week. My husband gets up at 5am and doesn’t get in until 10:30 or 11 at night.”
The film ends on this sobering quote, ‘An Australian Farmer dies by suicide every 10 days. Farming: The most important job in the world’. This is something Leila thinks about for her husband and for her son and daughter. No doubt, it’s challenging and isolating at times, but Leila remains passionate about the future of life on the land. “You’re contributing in such a meaningful way. That’s success. Helping the world become a better place. What an amazing job.”
CHANGING THE FUTURE
There’s no doubt Leila is young, passionate and a wonderful rural role model. She wants to use her profile to breakdown some unhelpful stereotypes that permeate agriculture, such as our farmers being old and uneducated. “We’re not at all! Some farmers probably have the best education in the country and they go home to be ‘Justa Farmer’.
“We don’t speak like bogans and wear overalls. The concept of what a farmer looks like in Australia is very misconstrued.”
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