Born in Brooklyn in 1911, Ruth Gruber became the youngest PhD in the world before going on to become an international foreign correspondent and photojournalist at age 24. She emerged as the eyes and conscience of the world. With her love of adventure, fearlessness and powerful intellect, Ruth defied tradition in an extraordinary career that has spanned more than seven decades.

The first journalist to enter the Soviet Arctic in 1935, Ruth also traveled to Alaska as a member of the Roosevelt administration in 1942, escorted Holocaust refugees to America in 1944, covered the Nuremberg trials in 1946 and documented the Haganah ship Exodus in 1947. Her relationships with world leaders including Eleanor Roosevelt, President Harry Truman, and David Ben Gurion gave her unique access and insight into the modern history of the Jewish people.

Ruth is an inspiration not only for her ground-breaking career, but for her vitality and humor at 98 years old. The film interweaves verite scenes with never-seen-before archival footage. The world premiere of Ahead of Time took place at the Toronto International Film Festival 2009.

Bob Richman | Director
Ahead of Time is Bob's directorial debut, but he is an award winning cinematographer and Director of Photography. He recently won the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival for Best Cinematography for The September Issue. His other credits include Academy Award winner, An Inconvenient Truth, and Academy Award nominee, My Architect. His other credits include Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, and Paradise Lost.

Zeva Oelbaum | Producer
Zeva Oelbaum founded Reel Inheritance Films, a documentary film production company. She was Executive Producer of Rene and I, a documentary film on twins Irene Hizme and Rene Slotkin who survived Josef Mengele at Auschwitz. Zeva is an award winning still photographer and she teaches at the International Center of Photography.

Sabine Krayenbuehl | Editor
Sabine Krayenbuehl is an award winning documentary film editor. She was nominated by the American Cinema Editors for an Eddie Award for My Architect. Her other documentary projects include Mad Hot Ballroom and The Bridge. Her most recent project, Picasso and Braque Go To The Movies, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in Fall 2008.