James Ridout Room 40 Analysis

Title: Room 40. The title is based off of the last place James Ridout was seen, at Parkview Arms.

Format: Digital, 10 Minutes

Katherine Marsili was handed a life of difficulty. Her father, Edward James Ridout was diagnosed with Schizophrenia and Depression. This moved them from a quaint home in The Beaches, to Ontario Housing. After battling his mental illnesses for several years, on and off medications, he moved out of the family’s life in her late teens and onto the streets of Toronto. But he hasn’t been entirely absent. For several years, through coincidence and utmost hunting, she has been trying to gain contact with her father. She has run into him on street corners, through drunken phone calls and intentional searching. All of these

The shots will be dark and gritty. The intention is not to glamorize her and her fathers situation through artistic shots of their lives, but present it in all its truth. As she winds through dark and narrow hallways, with a worried expression, nothing else is on her mind but obtaining this release. The style will reflect her feelings internally and the struggle she must overcome.

The film employs themes such as, courage; the ability to realize you really do want to find your father even though its daunting, family values, regret, containment of emotion, but most importantly catharsis. A catharsis through meeting. For finding the truth about ourselves and our family can be one of the hardest struggles we know, and uncovering dark parts of our past, although terrifying, will eventually help us come to peace.

The crisis point of the story is when Katherine decides to see her father again, after so many years of distance. But what elevates this situation further will be his ultimate response to her presence. As a result of his illness, and personal qualms, the meeting is ultimately, a deeper understanding of their relationship and just how broken it is. Katherine leaves the film with a better understanding of