Familiar Touch
Ruth (Kathleen Chalfant), a charming retired chef, prepares breakfast in her sunny kitchen—a dish she seems to have made many times before, although small and puzzling mistakes now disrupt her comfortable routine. When her son rings the doorbell to have dinner with her, she mistakes him for an admirer. Her “date” takes her to a nursing home, which Ruth does not remember choosing herself. Among the other residents in dementia care, Ruth feels lost and adrift, convinced that she has ended up somewhere she does not belong. As she slowly begins to accept the warmth and support of the caregivers, she (re)discovers ways to ground herself in her body and surroundings, while her mind embarks on a journey of its own.
This coming-of-old-age film by Sarah Friedland shows in a dignified, sensitive, and sometimes funny way what remains when your brain lets you down. The film won no fewer than three awards at the Venice Film Festival: Best Debut, Best Director, and Best Actress.
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- Direction
- Sarah Friedland
- Cast
- Kathleen Chalfant, Carolyn Michelle, Andy Mcqueen, H. Jon Benjamin
- Duration
- 91 min
- RELEASE
- Thu 25 Sep
- Year
- 2024
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Subtitles
- Dutch