Filmmaker Statement

My grandparents eloped when they were sixteen. They were walking home from a midnight movie at The Ritz when my grandma turned to my grandpa and said, "I think we should get married". After a moment, he said, "Okay". They eloped, inevitably got caught, but stayed married for fifty-five years until my grandma passed away after a long illness, during which my grandpa took care of her every day. In addition to being young and in love, the reason they each agreed to this elopement was because they were both trapped and desperate - each living in abusive homes and looking for a way out. I am in awe of my grandmother's strength to take control of her situation and propose marriage to a man - something that did not happen often in 1950. I made "The Ritz" because I wanted to bring her spirit to life on screen. I wanted to remind women, myself included, that there is always a way out of an abusive situation – even if it doesn't feel that way. It's even better if the way out is love.