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Clip description
Ruth (Kate Winslet) is surrounded by family members at the outback emu farm property of Puss (Kerry Walker) and Bill (Les Dayman). She is told that American cult expert PJ Waters (Harvey Keitel) has come to deprogram her.
Curator’s notes
Ruth’s family fear what has happened to Ruth in India and firmly believe this intervention is for her own good. Having laid an emotional trap with a false story about her father’s illness they want to convince her to see cult deprogrammer PJ Waters.
Central themes of Holy Smoke are free will and self–determination. Ruth feels that she has been robbed of both by her misguided family and lashes out furiously. The circle formed around Ruth in the remote location accentuates her isolation and gives the strong impression that she cannot escape this situation.
