Documentary of a tragic 1926 lesbian love story is seeking supporters

Nearly a century ago, in the heart of Salt Lake City, a quiet tragedy unfolded — one that would leave behind echoes still felt today. In 1926, the Salt Lake Telegram printed the city’s first-ever use of the word “homosexual.” The reason? Two young women — 23-year-old lovers Ruth Drake and Sarah Lundstedt — took their lives after their relationship was discovered and their families attempted to tear them apart.

Now, a new documentary titled Ruth & Sarah is bringing their story to life.

Local genealogist and gay historian Connell O’Donovan, a longtime pillar of Utah’s LGBTQ+ community, has spent years unearthing the details of Ruth and Sarah’s lives. Partnering with filmmaker Erik Hutchins, the two are entering the final stages of post-production and seeking community support through IndieGogo to finish the film.

“It is because of the tragedy of these two suicides that we know so much about Ruth Drake and Sarah Lundstedt’s lives and the love that they shared,” says O’Donovan from his home office in Salt Lake City. “Although here in provincial Utah, they were definitely 1920s girls. Both were raised LDS, but they were independent, educated working women who occasionally smoked and drank, permed their hair in finger-waves, loved jazz music, went dancing at clubs and out at the old Saltair, and they loved going to silent movies.”

The documentary uses O’Donovan’s meticulous research, historic documents, and archival images to recreate Ruth and Sarah’s world — a world of secret letters, forbidden love, and a society too rigid to accept them. The film also features interviews with historians who contextualize the women’s lives within a broader history of LGBTQ+ experience in early 20th-century Utah.

Hutchins, an experienced director with over 100 documentaries and 300 commercials under his belt, met O’Donovan at the Pride Spectacular event in Salt Lake City, where he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Utah Pride Center.

“I was immediately drawn to Connell’s big personality and his legacy fighting for LGBTQ rights,” says Hutchins. “When he told me Ruth and Sarah’s story, I knew it needed to be told—especially now, when we’re seeing LGBTQ+ rights threatened across the country. This story reminds us of how far we’ve come, and how easily we can lose that progress.”

The Ruth & Sarah production team recently received a generous $5,000 grant from Project Rainbow, allowing them to complete principal photography. Now, they are raising a modest $2,750 to cover the remaining costs of post-production, including editing, voice-over narration, and securing archival rights and permissions.

“This amount may not seem like much,” O’Donovan explains, “but that’s because we’re fortunate to have long-time collaborators who are generously donating their time or working for greatly reduced fees. With this round of funding, we’ll be able to create a full rough cut of the film, which means the film will be 90 percent on the way to completion. That’s a huge step in this monumental effort to tell Ruth and Sarah’s story.”

Ruth & Sarah isn’t just a history lesson—it’s a memorial, a love letter, and a call to remember those whose lives were too often erased. With your help, the film can be completed and shared widely as a testament to queer resilience and love.

Donations to support the film’s completion can be made on IndieGogo. All contributors will be acknowledged in the film’s credits.

To support this powerful project, visit indiegogo.com/projects/ruth-sarah-documentary-film#/.