Private Project

Ruth

  • Kelsey N. Kline
    Director
  • Kelsey N. Kline
    Cinematographer
  • Sam Derouen
    Cinematographer
  • Kelsey N. Kline
    Producer
  • Sarah McElcheran
    Producer
  • Christian Philips
    Producer
  • Julia Moran
    Post Production Producer
  • Grace Kiker
    Associate Producer
  • Dylan DeVries
    Editor
  • Mel Braun
    Associate Editor
  • Ben Miller
    Associate Editor
  • Savannah Sundheim
    Assistant Editor
  • Kayla Gallagher
    Production Design
  • Sarah McElcheran
    Character Design
  • Steffie Barzowski
    Scenic Artists
  • Kess Fullington
    Scenic Artists
  • Tegan Zoephel
    Scenic Artists
  • Lauren Arnold
    Costume Design
  • Evan Kibiloski
    Music Score
  • Rayne Beckman
    Sound Editing and Mixing
  • Sam Derouen
    Colorist
  • Sarah Layton
    Social Media
  • Shin Yu Liu
    Social Media
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes 2 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 3, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    3,399 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Savannah College of Art and Design
Director Biography - Kelsey N. Kline

Based in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, Kelsey is a 24 year old filmmaker whose love of story is rooted in activism and the exploration of identity. She prioritizes projects by and for the unconventional, the unwavering, and the unheard. Her directorial debut "Ruth" is a testament to those priorities. Kelsey currently works as a script supervisor for independent features, but aims to be a full time writer/director/producer for narrative film, documentary, and theatre, as well as open a production company in Louisville.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As a filmmaker and granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor I find myself in a precarious situation.

How do you talk about a story that feels so personal but is not your experience? How do you express a pain you never went through but feel everyday? And how do you make a film about it?

I don’t know those answers for certain and can’t say I ever will. This film, at least, was my first attempt.
The Holocaust is one of those things that seems impossible to describe in all it’s horror. I for one have yet to truly process the grief of my family’s murder and displacement.

The Jewish people, my people, have faced persecution for 2,000 years. Our land has been invaded, our homes have been destroyed, our humanity has been denied since the days of Ancient Greece. Since the fall of Judea have we ever been free from this terror?

Though my land has never been invaded, though my home has never been destroyed, I do feel my humanity is at risk as so many other Jews do now…

I fear that my grandmother’s suffering will be for nothing. I fear “never again” is an empty promise.

This film is dedicated to my family and the 6 million Jews that perished.