Ruth

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Ruth ties the laces of her white sneakers, combs her hair in front of the changing room mirror and tries on different bows. This Swedish teenager has just been selected to compete for Twisters, her cheerleading team, and today is her first day with her new teammates. Ruth is passionate about her sport and she socializes easily, so she quickly feels at home among the other athletic girls – munching on their apples as they chat about annoying muscle aches. In this youth documentary, we follow Ruth with her team and at home. Even when surrounded by her family Ruth finds time to focus on her beloved sport – in between squabbling with her brother Johan and joking around with her more levelheaded parents. She practices somersaults in the garden with her mother, trying again and again to get it just right. “I get so angry at myself. I know I can do it, but I still fail,” she says through her tears. Ruth’s mother goes along to her daughter’s first competition. “Go Twisters, go Twisters” chants the team during their performance, but the bravado belies the tension in the girls’ faces, each of them set in a forced smile. The winners will go on to the national championship, but will Ruth and her team make the cut?