A sensitive refugee drama written, directed and produced by Lousia Rose Mackleston about a friendships in unlikely places and a film that challenging stereotypes, and the power of community. Ruth, an isolated pensioner, meets Safiya, a teenage Syrian refugee who is haunted by the life she fled from. Filmed on location in Skipton, the story is set in an allotment, showing the power of the earth and nature in creating a bond that transcends age, race and nationality. Over the opening credits...

A sensitive refugee drama written, directed and produced by Lousia Rose Mackleston about a friendships in unlikely places and a film that challenging stereotypes, and the power of community. Ruth, an isolated pensioner, meets Safiya, a teenage Syrian refugee who is haunted by the life she fled from. Filmed on location in Skipton, the story is set in an allotment, showing the power of the earth and nature in creating a bond that transcends age, race and nationality. Over the opening credits Ruth makes her way slowly up the back alley of a terraced street in Skipton pulling a shopping trolley. She comes to a stop in front of the camera and takes a deep exhausted breath before moving on. Credit: Alison Rooks, Keiva Bhanabhai, Kelli Hollis Composer Anna Stokes Costume Designer Harriet Dyson Editor and Colourist Mike Myshko Production Designer Jessica Jones Director of Photography Patrick Gillespie Make Up Designer Rachel Frost Sound Design Haresh Patel Title: Ruth and Safiya Safiya runs out of her home passing Ruth in the street. As Safiya disappears down the road Ruth looks back on Safiya’s guardian and carer Alexa who looking exasperated in the driveway before moving on. Credit: A film by Lousia Rose Mackleston Walking through gentle snow Ruth comes along a pathway towards her allotment still pulling her trolley. Arriving at her plot she finds Safiya hiding behind a greenhouse cautiously watching on. As Ruth comes to take a seat at an outdoor table Safiya steps back. Taking a flask of tea from her trolley Ruth pours a cup and offers it to Safiya. She comes forward warily sitting beside Ruth to drink it. Ruth asks Safiya her name, when she doesn’t reply she gets up and walks away returning with a tray of plants. Safiya watches on with interest as Ruth begins potting them, but having never seen one before becomes scared getting to her feet when she sees a worm in one of the pots. With a smile Ruth picks it up assuring Safiya there isn’t anything to be afraid of. She cautiously comes forward and touches the worm in Ruth hand. With the sun going down the pair leave the allotment with Safiya pulling Ruth’s trolley. Arriving back at Safiya home the film changes to her sitting around the dining room table with two other children and Alexa, her guardian, serving dinner. Safiya doesn’t hear her as she is told that she can’t run off again, instead she hears the sound of wind and people screaming. Suddenly, she gets up from the table and races out of the room knocking her food onto the floor. Upstairs in her bedroom Safiya sits in the dark looking at a photograph of her family in happier times. The next day Safiya stands near the allotment waiting on the arrival of Ruth, she appears with a smile along the path. The two head inside and as Ruth takes a seat at the outdoor table, Safiya begins work digging weeds from a patch of red cabbages. Safiya talks about her grandmother who grew vegetables on her farm while Ruth tells a story about her father having a farm and rearing hens which makes the two laugh. On being asked about her father Safiya becomes quiet and tries to verbalise that he was is in prison for trying to help his neighbours. She tells Ruth she misses her best friend at school. When she explains that she was ill when her home was bombed, the sound of explosions and people screaming. Standing at the nearby fence is Alexa who tells Safiya it’s time to go home, Ruth looks on sympathetically as Safiya leaves telling her to take care. At home as Ruth opens her fridge she sees and contemplates a photograph of herself and her son when he was young. Sitting at her dining room table she spreads jam onto a slice of toast and takes a bite while listening to the radio. Still looking at the photograph on the fridge door she picks up the telephone beside her and rings her son. She becomes frustrated when it goes to an answering machine and drops the headset onto the floor. With an ache in her back, she picks it up placing it back into its cradle before sitting in the chair thinking hard. Another day on the allotment and Ruth arrives to find Safiya already happily hard at work. On the outdoor table a large blue flash which Safiya has brought. As she pours Ruth a cup of tea she tells Safiya she looks smart in her new school uniform and asks if she has made any friends. She explains one person was nice to her, but most simply avoided her which upsets Ruth telling Safiya that it is their loss. Safiya ask Ruth about her friends and is told that not many of them are left, and that she has a son she hasn’t since in several years. However, with a smile she reminds Safiya she has her, what more could she ask for. In one of the greenhouses the two work together happily with Ruth waters several potted flowers while Safiya trims another plant. As Ruth asks Safiya if she heard the gales last night, this triggers her to remember the small boat crossing she made to England during a storm. She tells Ruth that she is scared of the wind and explains that she lost her mother during the crossing, about her time in a refugee camp and now being all alone. Rubbing a tear from her eye Ruth tells Safiya how sorry she is for her plight and that she doesn’t deserve what has happened to her. Holding her hands Ruth reminds Safiya that she isn’t alone. Walking arm-in-arm down the back alley featured at the start, Ruth and Safiya arrives back home where Alexa tells Safiya excitedly that her father has been looking for her and he is at a camp at Calais in France. Safiya rushes over and hugs her before rushing inside to read a letter from him. With Ruth looking on both with both a sense of happiness and sorrow, a montage of them together at the allotment playing around with a hat and picking a red cabbage. Explaining to the Alexa that Safiya deserves a little happiness she hands over the cabbage they cut. As Ruth begins to walk away looking mournful, Alexa invites Ruth to join them for Sunday dinner. This makes Ruth happy and the film ends on her walking home looking contented. Over the closing credits birds flying in the sky. Credit: Written, Directed and Produced by Louisa Rose Mackleston Ruth, Alison Rooks. Safiya, Keiva Bhanabhai. Alexa, Kelli Hollis. Jake, Jai Hollis. Ruth’s son Jake Botterell, Daisy, Daisy Abbas 1st Assistant Director Lee Preston 3rd Assistant Director Ben Plummber Script Supervisor Jessica Redhead Production Manager Gemma Robinson Production Assistant Jo Mackleston 1st AC Jonny Rhodes 2nd AC Ella Bewin Grip Asher Blythen Trainee Grip / Trainee Spark Jim Freel DIT Eric Garside Gaffer Andrew Hurst Sound Mixer Paul Caton Boom Op and Dailies Sound Mixer Devon George Transport Captain Neal Mackleston Hair and Make-Up Trainee Shannon Sparkes Art Assistant Georgia Mackleston, Emma Pitchforth Locations Assistant Luke Mackleston Chaperone Davina Bhanabhai Catering Jo Mackleston, Katie Powell Stills and BTS Joshua Dykes Medic/Covid Officer Mike Kitchen Executive Producer Simon Beaufoy, Stephanie Zari Title: Special thanks to Sara and Geoff Baines, Derek Stansfield, Monika Kasprzak, The Three Links Club Skipton, Jenny Monks, Paul Olivier, Dominic Leclerc, Stuart Mackleston, Mark Robinson, David Wilson, Steve and Summer Lawson, Rob Hutchinson, Chris Lane, Gag Oxley, Jules Derval, Caroline Cooper-Charles, Karen Macintyre, Catherine Johnson, Skipton Middeton Allotments Lynne Armitage, Skipton Town Council, Matt Zina, Gurjant Singh, Tommy Southgate Lottery Funded: Arts Council England, Bradford 2025: UK City of Culture Bid, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, The Leap, New Lion Films, Beehive Basement, Bradford City of Film: A UNESCO Creative City, Creative People and Places End title: Northern Fortress Films