By turns heart wrenching, emotional, and quite frightening, “Ruth” is a film exploring the terrifying realities of life with dementia, as a kindly old lady lives her everyday life in her quiet home, comforted by joyful memories of the past one moment, and shattered by the fragmented truth of the present by the next. “Ruth” is not an easy film to watch.
In 12 short minutes, “Ruth” takes us through the pain, fear, and anger that an elderly woman must face every moment of every day. Haunting her own house like a ghost, Ruth is constantly faced with echoes of her past, confused by glimmers of her present, and desperately searching for solace in a world that is swiftly slipping away from her.
Written by the creative team of Kerry-Ann Calleja McGregor, Arturo M. Antolin and Paul Romero Mendez, “Ruth” is a film that will get under your skin. A stunning performance by Ania Marson takes us almost by the hand, right at the side of the titular character as we experience a fragment of her daily life.
The entire film is presented in a single uninterrupted shot by cinematographer Tom Watts, the camera looming along with Ruth like a shadow. Where the world changes for Ruth, it changes for the viewer too, and what is out of sight is often not the same by the time we return. Ruth is lost, a stranger to her own house, and the feeling of claustrophobia is all too real.
“Ruth” is available to view on YouTube, or below:
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