‘Scammed’, which had its New Zealand premiere in Masterton back in June, is the quirky story of a modern-day con set in a fictional retirement village. The short film was filmed over last summer in locations across Wairarapa.

The quirky short movie had a cast of 20 actors using four locations. As one of the lead roles, Ruth played ‘Lucy’, a person living with dementia. The 84 year-old says the shoot was a mix of down time and busy times.

“It was an interesting process and playing my character was a lot of fun. There was also hard work as scenes were worked and reworked until both the producer and cinematographer were satisfied.”

As one of only two cast members who actually live in a retirement community, Ruth says seeing the end result on the big theatre screen in Masterton (alongside her son) was quite amazing and far better than she’d imagined.

“It was a great experience!”

The short film is expected to release in 2025.