Sleep

In a small London café, teenager Ruth, and elderly French artist, Harry, recognise something profound in each other. They strike up a conversation that leads to regular meetings and takes them on a journey through their memories of traumatic times. Harry has much to tell about his childhood beside the Canal St Martin in Paris. Ruth has stories about her mother’s childhood in the Yorkshire Dales and London. How much has the stain of tragedy charged these memories and what use can be made of the pain? Looking back on her years with Harry, Ruth sees how shared memories – ecstatic or painful – can reshape the ways we value our lives and the lives of others.