PARK CITY, Utah — Last month’s Sundance Film Festival included the premiere of a documentary focused on the fascinating life of 90-year-old sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer.
“Ask Dr. Ruth,” which premiered at Sundance on Jan. 25, also will be available on Hulu. The video streaming service’s synopsis of the film: “‘Ask Dr. Ruth’ chronicles the incredible life of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Holocaust survivor who became America’s most famous sex therapist. With her diminutive frame, thick German accent, and uninhibited approach to sex therapy and education, Dr. Ruth transformed the conversation around sexuality. As she approaches her 90th birthday and shows no signs of slowing down, Dr. Ruth revisits her painful past and unlikely path to a career at the forefront of the sexual revolution.”
To view the documentary’s trailer, click here.
“I’ve never really stopped to examine my life, so when I first saw ‘Ask Dr. Ruth’ even I was amazed by what had transpired during my ninety years,” Westheimer said in a statement, accordin to Deadline. “I am delighted that audiences will be able to share that experience both on Hulu and in movie theaters around the U.S.”
“Ask Dr. Ruth” is produced by Delirio Films and is directed by Ryan White.
Born Karola Ruth Siegel, Dr. Ruth Westheimer is a psychosexual therapist who pioneered speaking frankly about sexual matters on radio with her program, “Sexually Speaking.” It began in September of 1980 as a 15-minute, taped show that aired Sundays after midnight on WYNY-FM (NBC) in New York. One year later it became a live, one-hour show airing at 10 p.m. on which Dr. Ruth, as she became known, answered call-in questions from listeners.
In addition to radio, her television career has spanned both broadcast and cable. Her first TV show went national on Lifetime's “The Dr. Ruth Show,” while her “Ask Dr. Ruth” show was syndicated both nationally and internationally, making her internationally famous in places like London and Hong Kong. She’s been featured on TV commercials for Clairol Herbal Essence, Honda, Pepsi, Entenmann’s and many other products, and has reached multigenerational audiences with appearances on PBS and MTV U.
In print she circles the globe with her column, Ask Dr. Ruth, syndicated by King Features. She is the author of 35 books, and counting. She’s also released calendars and a board game.
Dr. Ruth’s story has been turned into an off-Broadway play called “Becoming Dr. Ruth,” which has starred Debra Jo Rupp (“The 70’s Show”). From fleeing the Nazis to joining the Haganah in Jerusalem as a scout and sniper, to her struggles as a single mother coming to America, Dr. Ruth has come a long way to become America's most famous sex therapist.
In 2017, Sexual Health magazine presented Westheimer with the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award during the Sex Expo in Los Angeles.
