Synopsis
Fourteen year-old Sydney is travelling with her parents (Anne and David) to a rural camping retreat where a group of “other-world” advocates are gathering together in a field to share beliefs and ideas. Sydney is struggling to understand her mother’s obsession with celestial life, and questions her father’s willingness to support her mother in her convictions.
We begin to find answers to the puzzle as we are gradually drawn in to David’s efforts to deal with his wife’s depression, both with pills (which Anne ultimately rejects) and with gentle understanding (which goes unheeded).
As the weekend gets underway, Sydney’s disappointment with her parents, and frustration with the camp’s activities build. She feels lost and helpless. Then she meets Sam, and finds that she is not the only non-believer at the camp.
Compellingly conveyed, this is a film about not letting go, even when confronted with the disconnection and breakdown which sometimes occur within a loving unit. Recounted through a hauntingly tender lens, we see how each family member is affected by the nuances of mental illness. Starring in her first film, young Viktoria Sciacca is the perfect embodiment of the rebellious young teen who loves both her parents in spite of her tangled feelings. Daisy MacLean’s script and direction of this unusual family love story takes us on a journey from belief to reality in a way that never lets us forget that life is complicated. Sometimes when we try to escape, some of us get lost.
Trailer
Matthew K. Grundy
