With a certain sign from the sky, a young woman felt she was touched by a higher power. In the psychological film A Banquet, the mother struggles to save her daughter, who believes she doesn’t need nourishment from any food.

The film stars Sienna Guillory, Jessica Alexander, Ruby Stokes, and Lindsay Duncan. Ruth Paxton directed the movie from the screenplay written by Justin Bull.

Here is the official synopsis:

Widowed mother Holly (Sienna Guillory) is radically tested when her teenage daughter Betsey (Jessica Alexander) experiences profound enlightenment and insists that her body is no longer her own, but in service to a higher power. Bound to her newfound faith, Betsey refuses to eat but loses no weight. In an agonizing dilemma, torn between love and fear, Holly is forced to confront the boundaries of her own beliefs.

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LRM Online’s Gig Patta talked with director Ruth Paxton on her directorial feature film debut. We talked about working with an accomplished actress with Sienna Guillory to an up-and-coming actress with Jessica Alexander. Also, we talked about the food and cinematography to establish the mood for a psychological thriller.

Ruth Paxton is a Scottish filmmaker who graduated in 2007 with an MA in film and television from Screen Academy Scotland after gaining an honors degree at Edinburgh College of Art. Her award-winning short films have been showcased at numerous film festivals worldwide. The short film Pulse earned her Best Woman Director at the 12^th London Short Film Festival. She was nominated as one of Canongate Books 40 Scottish Storytellers of The Future.  In 2019, Screen Daily featured her as one of “six emerging Scotland-based directors you need to know.

A Banquet is currently playing in select theaters, digital platforms, and on VOD today.

Watch the exclusive interview with Ruth Paxton below. Let us know what you think of the interview.

Source: LRM Online Exclusive, IFC Midnight