The Space Between

Description

RUTH (30s) is a former asylum seeker working on BO’s farm, on the outskirts of a former coal-mining town. Ruth likes Bo romantically, but even though she now has citizenship, she still doesn’t feel like she belongs and lacks the confidence to ask him on a date. When race riots erupt in the nearby town, her ex-mother-in-law NAOMI tells her to seek refuge in the community centre where Ruth volunteers - and delivers the misshapen produce she gathers from Bo’s farm. As she runs there, Ruth sees a limping man stumble and fall as he escapes the riot. At the risk of her own safety, she helps him inside. Naomi tells her to get to the basement, but the man can’t use the stairs, so Ruth takes him to a disused lift cage, even though she could have escaped down the stairs. The lift cage jams between floors and they’re trapped. Ruth immediately tries to get them out, while the man -NAB (50s)- complains about Naomi, saying she shouldn’t have returned to town. Ruth stays silent, still feeling like an outsider. The riot sounds and sirens grow louder. Nab, a diabetic, shakes and panics. Ruth gives him squashed produce from the farm. He takes it begrudgingly but remains anxious, knowing he needs his meds. They hear objects hitting the windows. A whirring fan triggers Ruth’s memories of hiding from bomb drones as a child. She and her brother would stay calm by tapping out dance rhythms. She does it now and calms down. Suddenly, there’s a smash as the rioters break into the centre and bang on the stairwell door. Ruth begs Nab not to shout. He defends the rioters, grumbling his father worked the mines and now everything’s gone. Ruth finally speaks out, saying it’s not her who trapped him in this situation. In doing so, she asserts her right to belong. Nab shouts anyway. But no-one hears. Ruth then discovers a text on his phone revealing he’d been taking part in the riot and had even incited it. Before she can react, smoke starts creeping under the door.The community centre is on fire. Ruth spots a glass emergency box through the cage and quickly uses junk crammed in the lift to break it, triggering the sprinklers. Drenched, she and Nab look at each other - and laugh. With the fire out, Ruth pulls out a beautiful shawl, a last present from her mother. Together, they use it to slowly prise the cage door open. Though the shawl is ruined, they make enough space for Ruth to squeeze through. Nab can’t fit and he’s terrified of being left alone, but Ruth chooses to stay with him rather than escape. When firefighters finally break through the locked door, they find her holding Nab’s hand through the railings. Later, wearing Naomi’s brightest jumper, Ruth walks confidently through a dance night. Without hesitation, she walks up to Bo and asks him to dance, no longer needing permission to belong.

Biblical Connection

‘The Space Between’ is adapted from the Book of Ruth, highlighting themes: belonging. (as well as resilience and redemption). In the Bible, Ruth seeks and finds belonging in an unfamiliar place through hard work, faith and loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi. Her declaration, “Where you go, I will go…” (Ruth 1:16), shows her determination to contribute to her new community. In this modern adaptation, Ruth is re-imagined as an asylum seeker during the UK riots in August 2024, facing hostility in an impoverished industrial town. Trapped in a lift with Nab, a bitter rioter reflecting the town’s prejudices (a composite character), Ruth’s resilience is tested as she confronts her own belonging. Her decision to help him, despite his bigotry, symbolises her moral strength and commitment to humanity. Like her biblical counterpart, this modern Ruth seeks belonging not only by surviving but by helping someone - and in this instance, someone who resents her. The film emphasises how true belonging is achieved through perseverance and empathy, that transcend social barriers. Ruth’s ultimate choice to help Nab - and then later to ask Bo to dance - reflects her emotional growth and recognition of her worth despite prejudice.