Sarah Ema Friedland

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Beatrice Loayza |Sarah Ema Friedland

From the opening scene of Sarah Friedland’s empathetic debut feature “Familiar Touch,” Ruth (Kathleen Chalfant) radiates a magnetic yet dubious sense of poise that undergirds the film’s careful balance of tragedy and hope. Ruth, a woman with dementia who lives in a charming cottage-style home, prepares sandwiches and gets dolled up for an unknown visitor.