Bulldog Film Distribution has announced that the acclaimed drama ‘Familiar Touch’ will be released in UK cinemas from 19 June.
Directed by Sarah Friedland, ‘Familiar Touch’ has quietly become one of the most celebrated debut features on the international festival circuit. The film premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where it received widespread critical acclaim and won an impressive trio of awards, including Best Director, Best Debut Film and Best Actress. Friedland later went on to receive the Someone To Watch Award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
At the centre of the story is Ruth Goldman, played by Kathleen Chalfant, an older woman living with dementia who leaves home believing she is heading out on a date. Instead, she arrives at what she slowly realises is an assisted living facility. The unfamiliar surroundings, strict routines and shifting perceptions begin to fracture her understanding of reality, creating a deeply intimate portrait of memory, ageing, and identity.
Ruth struggles to identify with the elderly residents around her, while gradually forming connections with the care workers who support her day-to-day life. She also finds herself emotionally drawn toward her son, mistakenly viewing him as a romantic figure amid the confusion of her condition.
A former cook, Ruth rediscovers a sense of agency and purpose while preparing meals in the facility kitchen. Through food, touch and sensory experiences, fragments of her younger selves resurface like scattered photographs floating back into view. Yet as the truth of her situation becomes unavoidable, Ruth feels betrayed and attempts to escape in search of something she can still recognise as home.
Alongside Chalfant, the film stars Carolyn Michelle, known for ‘Russian Doll’ and ‘The Chi,’ Andy McQueen (Outer Banks, Fahrenheit 451), and H. Jon Benjamin, widely recognised for ‘Bob’s Burgers’ and ‘Master of None.’
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‘Familiar Touch’ opens in UK cinemas on 19 June through Bulldog Film Distribution.
