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Synopsis : Desperate to save her collapsing marriage, Judith (Japanese Canadian) brings her husband and two daughters to a self-development retreat on a remote island. But when they befriend another interracial couple (Pat and Carol) who seem to have the perfect marriage, Judith begins to recognize how stifled she has been. She finds herself infatuated with Pat, which leads to more resentment towards her emotionally stilted and privileged husband, Steve. Sensitive to the tensions, the children’s already fragile sense of security begins to erode. Their youngest, Emmy (6), who is timid and dependent on her sister, has a horrific time at the day camp where she is introduced to an eerie seaside cave that is rumoured to be haunted. The eldest, Stephanie (11), who is headstrong yet impressionable, meets an enigmatic girl with a mean streak and is taken under her wing, leaving her sister to fend for herself. The growing stress in the family heightens Emmy’s anxiety and she begins exhibiting compulsive behaviours that go unnoticed by her preoccupied parents. In the end, the family must collectively face their most unnerving insecurities before they become permanently broken.

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Festival History : FIPRESCI Prize, TIFF 2023

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Director : Meredith Hama-Brown
Producer : Tyler Hagan, Sara Blake
Screenplay : Meredith Hama-Brown
DOP : Norm Li
Editor : Kane Stewart, Shun Ando
Cast : Ally Maki, Luke Roberts, Nyha Breitkreuz, Remy Marthaller, Sarah Gadon, Chris Pang

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