Heathcote Dementia Alliance - Fundraiser Information
117 mins Rated PG (mild themes, violence and coarse (language) Drama Ruby
Directed by Michael Budd Staring Coco Jack Gillies, Jaqueline McKenzie, Stephen Hunter, Jane Seymour, Sam Rattner
Starring two-time Golden Globe Winner Jane Seymour OBE, Ruby’s Choice is a poignant tale that follows three generations of strong Australian women. Bonded by shared moments of wisdom and joy, secrets from the past are revealed. As Ruby’s illness threatens to push them apart, the family must make a big decision.
Ruby’s Choice will resonate with audiences touched by dementia, while offering hope and inspiration to live life to the fullest. Ruby’s Choice will support dementia care with a portion of its profits.
Screenwriter Paul Mahoney, 54, amid a lifetime of dairy farming and working in aged care, it did not occur to former Shepparton local Paul Mahoney he was set for something a little more extraordinary.
Ruby's Choice revolves around a teenage girl who, on sharing her bedroom with a grandmother, with dementia, goes from hating to loving her as she learns more about some family secrets. It stars two-time Golden Globe winner Jane Seymour (famous for Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and as an ex-Bond girl) and two-time silver Logie winner Jacqueline McKenzie (Romper Stomper).
Mr Mahoney said the film aimed to open the conversation by shining a light on the experiences of families and those living with the condition, depicting the difficult choices that followed.
"Dementia is the number one killer of women in Australia and number two cause of death. I thought it was worth discussing this topic on screen," Mr Mahoney said.
Mr Mahoney said the concept was personal not only for him but for various other actors and producers on the set. "My grandmother passed away from dementia when I was a child, and my mother has been diagnosed. Jane Seymour who plays the grandmother also has a mother with it. There were a lot who could relate to this," he said.
Michael Budd Director said his family’s struggle to take ownership of the situation ultimately led to her demise. Michael has spoken candidly about his late grandmother’s dementia battle. His grandmother Ruby suffered from the disease, prior to her passing in 2005 at the age of 77. “She had ailments she wouldn’t get treated. She was suffering from a leg problem which was leading to an amputation, and it could’ve been fixed, but she refused to leave the house to see the doctors,”
As the family matriarch, Budd said it was that level of power and determination that saw his relatives (and Ruby herself) struggle with accepting the diagnosis. “We dealt with all the usual things people in these situations deal with. We went through denial. We tried to cover it up. We told lies to one another, and we went through this struggle of trying to decide when it is her decision, and when is it our decision, to take ownership of the situation, and that’s what ultimately led to her demise.”
Michael Budd wants Ruby’s Choice to give dementia patients and their families the power and choice to make the right call.
