The Award-Winning Film About Identity, Memory And Human Connection, Familiar Touch, Is Coming To UK Cinemas
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Carl Roberts 
Starring Kathleen Chalfant, Carolyn Michelle, and H. Jon Benjamin, the award-winning Familiar Touch is coming to UK cinemas. Watch the trailer here.
Bulldog Film Distribution is incredibly excited to announce that the profound ‘coming-of-old-age’ film Familiar Touch will be released in UK cinemas from 19th June. This release comes after a successful run on the film festival circuit.
The film received widespread acclaim at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where it won three awards, including Best Director, Best Debut Film, and Best Actress. Later, it went on to receive many other awards. For example, it won the Someone To Watch Award (Sarah Friedland) at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
THE PREMISE
Ruth Goldman, an older woman with dementia, leaves her home for a date. But what she thinks is a hotel turns out to be an assisted living facility, and she must contend with an array of new faces, routines, and surroundings as her own identities and desires shift.
While Ruth resists identifying with her aging neighbors, she connects with the care workers there. She is also drawn towards her son, whom she mistakes for a suitor. A former cook, Ruth finds agency in preparing meals in the facility kitchen. Additionally, she slides into younger selves as she embraces the sensory experiences of the community’s activities and daily life. But when the reality of her situation sinks in, Ruth feels betrayed. Then she flees the facility in search of something familiar.
INSPIRED BY WORK AS A MEMORY CARE WORKER
Inspired by writer/director Sarah Friedland‘s work as a memory care worker and teaching artist to older adults, Familiar Touch is an intergenerational production. It was made in collaboration with the residents and care workers at a Los Angeles retirement community. The groundbreaking coming-of-old-age narrative is rooted in Ruth’s perspective. Moreover, it underscores how, even as Ruth’s world transforms, she remains herself.
Little White Lies called the film “a stunning, sensory-forward portrait of a woman with dementia”, while The New York Times applauded Kathleen Chalfant’s performance: “She radiates a magnetic yet dubious sense of poise that undergirds the film’s careful balance of tragedy and hope.”
THE CAST
Familiar Touch stars Kathleen Chalfant (Kinsey, The Last Days Of Disco), Carolyn Michelle (Russian Doll, The Chi), Andy McQueen (Outer Banks, Fahrenheit 451), and H. Jon Benjamin (Bob’s Burgers, Master Of None).
Familiar Touch will be coming to select UK & Irish cinemas on 19th June.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
