This week sees the debut of Dominic Savage’s latest I Am film, I Am Ruth, which stars Kate Winslet and her daughter Mia Threapleton as a mother and daughter, Ruth and Freya, struggling to connect with one another as their relationship becomes increasingly strained.
As the film goes on, it becomes apparent that Freya is retreating into herself due to the pressures of social media, which is having a serious impact on her mental health.
Speaking at a recent event for I Am Ruth attended by RadioTimes.com and other press, Winslet revealed why she agreed to take part in the project, saying that Dominic Savage’s improvisational filmmaking techniques made it both “fascinating and terrifying” to her.
Winslet explained: “Dominic approached me about doing it and I just immediately said ‘Yes. Yeah, whatever it is, let’s do it.’ Because I knew how he worked, I knew that he created the story with the lead actor, and that everything was improvised. And the idea of that was fascinating and terrifying all at the same time.”
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She continued: “Not one word that came out of our mouths is scripted, every single thing we say we made up on the day, in the moment. Nothing was written on a piece of paper.
“So I knew that we’d walk into an environment that would be very experimental – where mistakes would be encouraged, actually, because it’s that clunkiness that makes it real and keeps it visceral and hopefully makes people identify with these conversations, because they are real conversations.”
Winslet also noted that this made Threapleton’s portrayal of Freya “doubly impressive”, saying that for young actors it can be challenging to have “the courage to come forward with an idea and feel that it will be heard and that you will be properly included”.
Winslet continued: “One of the things that I love about working with young actors, not least, as it turns out, my daughter, is being able to be that person who says, ‘Come on, I was you one day, I know what it feels like, there’s nothing to be scared of.’
“I‘m just putting them at their ease and creating a space in which they feel absolutely safe, and not only celebrated, but encouraged and set up for success.”
Winslet recently spoke about the real-life inspiration behind I Am Ruth, as well as how the line between what’s real and what isn’t became “blurred” when working with her daughter.
I Am Ruth will air on Thursday 8th December at 9pm on Channel 4.
Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, or visit our Drama hub for more news and features.
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