She's Lost Control

Ronah (Brooke Bloom) is a sex worker and behavioral psychology student. As a surrogate partner, she sleeps with people who are unable to allow intimacy. Psychotherapist Dr. Alan Cassidy (Dennis Boutsikaris) refers clients to Ronah, who teaches them how to establish or accept physical intimacy in a controlled setting. Her latest client, red-haired anesthesiologist Johnny (Marc Menchaca), presents a particular challenge for her. For every step Ronah takes forward in her therapeutic work, he takes two steps back. Anja Marquardt's debut film premiered at the Berlinale Forum in 2014, where it won the CICAE Art Cinema Award. It was subsequently screened at festivals such as the SXSW Film Festival and the New Directors/New Films Festival in New York. The film received two nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards: for Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay. Zachary Galler's cinematography captures the claustrophobic atmosphere of Manhattan, while Simon Taufique's music underscores the protagonist's emotional isolation. Brooke Bloom won the Best Actress Award at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival for her nuanced portrayal of Ronah. SHE'S LOST CONTROL is a haunting portrait of the fragility of professional boundaries and the search for human connection in an increasingly anonymous society.