Ask Dr. Ruth

Director: Ryan White

Institute History

Description

Don’t let her small stature fool you. Standing at under five feet tall, Dr. Ruth Westheimer is a force. A pioneer in the field of sex therapy, she became a household name in the ’80s and ’90s. At 90 years old, she hasn’t stopped working—and still promises the best sex you’ve ever had if you listen to her.

Filmmaker Ryan White captures Dr. Ruth’s exuberant and snappy personality as she hopscotches from speaking engagements to TV and radio appearances. Her infectious energy is colored with an almost arresting openness that is joyous and nonjudgmental, and the affable rapport between filmmaker and subject is a welcome source of laughter. Alongside her optimism, however, are storybook-like animations that bring Dr. Ruth’s childhood as an orphan of the Holocaust to life. The tragic loss of being separated from her parents and never seeing them again shaped how she would embrace the world. The film is an inspiring and entertaining portrait of a trailblazer that reveals the darkness Dr. Ruth emerged from to bring light to so many people.


— S.O.

Screening Details

Sundance Film Festival Awards

Credits

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