The Art of Being Seen: Behind the Scenes of Familiar Touch

Nicole Will
8 hours ago
4 min read

Best caregiver podcast caregiver support dementia alzheimers

The Art of Being Seen: Behind the Scenes of Familiar Touch with Sarah Friedland, Kathleen Chalfant, Shaun Rushforth & Jean Owen

Familiar Touch is a powerful, award-winning film that reimagines aging, caregiving, and dementia through an honest, collaborative lens. Filmmaker Sarah Friedland, whose inspiration was deeply rooted in her own caregiving journey, joins us alongside Venice award-winning actress Kathleen Chalfant, Villa Gardens Executive Director Shaun Rushforth, and Villa Gardens resident Jean Owen. Together, they share how they brought this story to life. Family caregivers will see their own journey reflected—with dignity, creativity, and the reminder that they are not alone.

We go behind the scenes of Familiar Touch—filmed at Villa Gardens, a Front Porch Community. What does it mean to open your doors, your story, and your heart to a film crew? How do you protect dignity while embracing creative risk? And what happens when older adults shift from being passive recipients of care to powerful co-creators?

We talk about everything: boundaries and trust, storytelling and memory, leadership in senior living, and how art can reimagine what aging and caregiving really look like—rooted in love, dignity, and the belief that every person deserves to be seen and why this film needs to be shared.

Familiar Touch gives family caregivers a rare gift: the chance to see their own journey reflected with honesty and grace, reminding them that they are not alone.

The small moments of transition. The weight of goodbyes. The quiet strength of starting over.

This conversation is about what happens when we honor aging not as a decline, but as a creative act.

Familiar Touch is a 2024 award-winning drama directed by Sarah Friedland in her narrative feature debut. The film stars Kathleen Chalfant as Ruth Goldman, an octogenarian navigating assisted living, memory loss, and identity. Filmed on location at Villa Gardens in Pasadena with residents as cast and crew, Familiar Touch offers an authentic, collaborative portrayal of aging and caregiving. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, winning three major awards, and will be released in U.S. theaters on June 20, 2025 by Music Box Films.

Listen to our episode HERE.

Learn more about the film at https://www.familiartouchfilm.com/

OPPORTUNITIES TO JOIN THE FAMILIAR TOUCH MOVEMENT

Companion Ticketing

By supporting companion ticketing, you will provide attendees in select cities with the opportunity to bring a caregiver or care partner to a screening of FAMILIAR TOUCH at no cost.

Hosting Group Screenings

By supporting group screenings, you will provide communities with the opportunity to see FAMILIAR TOUCH together at no cost, courtesy of your organization, during opening weekend in select markets. Whether it’s a senior living community outing or a special event for caregivers or aging-focused professionals, your support will bring the film’s message to life.

AMPLIFY THE FAMILIAR TOUCH MOVEMENT

Help us spread the word on social media, in e-newsletters, or in other ways you connect with your audience. Have an idea or want support in spreading the word about FAMILIAR TOUCH? Contact Cat Sullivan at csullivan@musicboxfilms.com.

Thank you to our Sponsors

HeroGeneration empowers family caregivers and older adults with resources, education, and support to navigate aging and caregiving with confidence.

HeroGeneration empowers caregivers and families by providing innovative resources, education, and support to navigate the challenges of aging and caregiving with confidence and connection. It's free to start. Join now HERE.

Zinnia TV provides engaging, person-centered videos designed to support individuals living with dementia by reducing anxiety and enhancing connection.

Zinnia TV is a therapeutic dementia care platform that supports caregivers. Creating engaging, dementia-friendly video content to reduce anxiety, spark memories, and provide meaningful moments of connection for individuals living with cognitive challenges and their caregivers. We invite you to use the code GATHER20 for 20% off an annual subscription HERE.

About Our Guests

Sarah Friedland

Sarah Friedland is a filmmaker whose work has been showcased at prestigious festivals and art spaces like the New York Film Festival and MoMA. Friedland’s debut feature film, Familiar Touch, earned critical acclaim at the Venice International Film Festival last year, where she received both the Lion of the Future - Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Debut Film and the Horizons Award for Best Director. She was named one of Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film in 2023.

Kathleen Chalfant

Kathleen Chalfant, acclaimed lead actor in FAMILIAR TOUCH, won the Venice Horizons Award for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her performance. Chalfant has earned multiple awards, including the Drama Desk, Obie, and Lucille Lortel, and has made guest appearances on series like Law & Order and House of Cards.

Shaun Rushforth

Shaun Rushforth is Executive Director of Villa Gardens, a life plan community in Pasadena, who made this collaboration possible. Shaun has extensive experience in senior living and has successfully overseen various initiatives to enhance the quality of life for older adults.

Jean Owen

Jean Owen, a longtime Pasadena resident who has been a resident of Villa Gardens for eight years, appeared in the film and has been a champion for the project and its message since its beginning. Jean was an actor in the film and served as background casting director of fellow residents.

About Villa Gardens

Villa Gardens is a Front Porch Retirement Community located in Pasadena, California. With a full continuum of care and a wide array of amenities and services, Villa Gardens builds community by cultivating meaningful relationships and experiences that respond creatively to changing needs. Learn more at https://frontporch.net/community/villa-gardens/.

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We are not medical professionals and are not providing any medical advice. If you have any medical questions, we recommend that you talk with a medical professional of your choice. willGather has taken care in selecting its speakers but the opinions of our speakers are theirs alone. Thank you for your continued interest in our podcasts.