Skip to main content

Familiar Touch

Familiar Touch

Familiar Touch

Dir. Sarah Friedland
90 min

Now Playing

ABOUT THE FILM

A sensitive coming-of-old-age film that follows an older woman's transition into assisted living as she navigates her relationship with herself, her caregivers, and her family amidst her shifting memories and desires.

Ruth (Kathleen Chalfant), a retired cook, prepares breakfast in her sunny and cozy kitchen — a dish she seems to have made many times before, although small and puzzling errors now punctuate her comfortable routine. When her son (H. Jon Benjamin) arrives to dine with her, she mistakes him for a suitor. Their “date” takes them to an assisted living facility, which Ruth does not remember that she had previously selected for herself. Among her fellow memory care residents, Ruth feels lost and adrift, certain she has found herself somewhere she does not belong. As she slowly begins to accept the warmth and support of care workers Vanessa (Carolyn Michelle) and Brian (Andy McQueen), she finds new ways to ground herself in her body, even as her mind embarks on a journey all its own. Writer-director Sarah Friedland’s coming-of-old-age feature compassionately follows the winding path of octogenarian Ruth’s shifting memories and desires while remaining rooted in her sage perspective.

Film Details

Program: New Releases
Film Type: Fiction Feature
Release Year: 2024
Runtime: 90 min
Country/Region: USA
Language: English
Print Source: Music Box Films
Tags: Drama, Dramedy

Cast/Crew

Director: Sarah Friedland
Producer: Alexandra Byer, Matthew Thurm, Sarah Friedland
Cinematographer: Gabe C Elder
Screenwriter: Sarah Friedland
Editor: Aacharee "Ohm" Ungsriwong
Principal Cast: Kathleen Chalfant, Carolyn Michelle, Andy McQueen, H. Jon Benjamin