| Familiar Touch | |
| Director: | Sarah Friedland |
| Cinematography: | Gabe C. Elder |
| Runtime: | 91 minutes[1] |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Familiar Touch is a 2024 American drama film, written, directed, and produced by Sarah Friedland in her narrative feature directorial debut. It stars Kathleen Chalfant, Carolyn Michelle Smith, Andy McQueen and H. Jon Benjamin. It had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2024, where it won the Lion of the Future, and the Orizzonti section Best Director and Best Actress prizes.[2]
Billed as a coming of (old) age film, Familiar Touch follows an octogenarian woman (Kathleen Chalfant) as she transitions to life in assisted living contending with her relationship to herself and her caregivers while dealing with cognitive decline.[3]
Principal photography took place at the Villa Gardens retirement community in Pasadena, California, with residents participating in a filmmaking workshop and acting in the film.[4] [5] Residents made their own biographical films, and only after everyone had been immersed in the experience, they became cast and crew in the feature. Although the film is about dementia, Friedland did not film the residents in the community's memory care wing, due to ethical considerations about their ability to give consent, so some roles (including the lead) were played by professional actors.[6]
Familiar Touch had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2024, in the Orizzonti (Horizons) section,[7] where director Sarah Friedland won the Luigi de Laurentiis Lion of the Future prize for best first film, alongside the Best Director award, while Kathleen Chalfant won the Best Actress award.[8]
In her acceptance speech for the first award, Friedland made a political statement, saying: “As a Jewish American artist working in a time-based medium, I must note, I’m accepting this award on the 336th day of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and 76th year of occupation. I believe it is our responsibility as film workers to use the institutional platforms through which we work to redress Israel’s impunity on the global stage. I stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and their struggle for liberation.”