Princess Rita
From the Archives
•
9m 53s
A lonely insurance adjuster in Florida becomes consumed by his desire to meet his internet girlfriend, who claims to be a princess from a faraway country. Blair Waters directs “Princess Rita,” a uniquely realized portrait of an odd man dreaming of a new life. While composing a series of love letters, Alan goes about his days, an endless cycle of damaged properties, cheap hotel rooms, and gas station food (he eats snack cakes for lunch to save money to send Rita). His behavior worries those around him. His daughter sends him articles on dating scams; his neighbors avoid pleas to borrow money. But Alan never doubts the veracity of the woman from across the sea, always on to the next stage of correspondence until the time finally comes to make it official. Waters’ film achieves an interesting effect holding tight to Alan’s perspective — both endearing and unsettling — and leaves an indelible impression with vivid Florida textures alternating between mundane and picturesque.
Up Next in From the Archives
-
I'll Be Here For a While
In New York City, a man named Lenny looks after his mother who is experiencing memory loss and hallucinations. “I’ll Be Here For Awhile,” directed by Dylan and Dakota Pailes-Friedman, is an elliptical drama told with quietly evocative visuals about identity loss and the burdens shouldered by love...
-
Jeanette Is The Dog
Two meandering friends ponder their life choices when they meet a corporate buddy for lunch. “Jeanette is the Dog” is an Australian short directed by Pat Mooney — a casual vignette about home ownership and wealth imbalance (and a dog named Jeanette). Standing on a high-rise rooftop making up name...
-
Personal Assistant
Desperate for work, a struggling artist takes on a personal assistant gig from Craigslist. Tynan DeLong’s “Personal Assistant” confines us at close-range to a claustrophobic series of interactions between a young woman and her exasperating employer. Sadie lands a job that drops her into the apart...
