Synopsis:
In a forgotten pocket of Southern Ohio where American manufacturing and opportunity are drying up, a determined young woman finds a ticket out when she is accepted to college. Alongside her older brother, Ruth Avery joins a dangerous scrap metal crew in order to pay her way. Together, they spend one brutal winter working the scrap yards during the day and stealing valuable metal from the once thriving factories by night. With her goal in sight, Ruth finds that the ultimate cost of an education for a girl like her may be more than she bargained for, and she soon finds herself torn between a promising future and the family she would leave behind.
The Making of the film:
Positioned as the Debra Granik of her generation, director Nicole Riegel (a former US Army soldier) expanded her 2016 short of the same name into a feature, the film was heavily influenced by Barbara Loden’s early feminist indie “Wanda.” Riegel chose to shoot on 16mm in her struggling Ohio hometown, casting non-pros in supporting roles that, in turn, lent credibility to her portrayals of factory workers from the communities she knew well.
Director: Nicole Riegel (Variety 10 Directors to Watch / 2020)
Cast: Jessica Barden (The End of the F**king World), Gus Halper, Austin Amelio (Walking Dead)
