Ruth is a retired cook who leaves home one day believing she’s going on a date. The place she arrives at, however, is not a hotel, it’s an assisted living facility. Suddenly surrounded by unfamiliar faces, routines, and surroundings, she must find her way through a world that no longer quite makes sense. Anchored by a superb performance from Kathleen Chalfant, writer-director Sarah Friedland’s debut feature is a compassionate and quietly moving portrait of a woman living with dementia, following the rhythms of her shifting memories and desires with tenderness and care. Winner of the award for Best Feature Debut at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. 

Reviews

‘Friedland, who also wrote the film‘s script, is not given over to histrionics or blaring displays of emotion, instead asking us to follow Ruth and experience the world through her eyes. The impact is profound.’
★★★★
Kate Erbland, IndieWire

‘Because writer-director Sarah Friedland’s debut finds so much depth in its subjective approach to memory loss, it loses much of its stigma and discovers wonder in its place.’
★★★★
Jacob Oliver, The AV Club