Upstate (2010)

UPSTATE tells the story of Liz, who, after the death of her mother, emerges from a period of self-inflicted isolation to visit her oldest friend Steve. Over the course of a long weekend in the country, Liz and Steve attempt to overcome their history of mixed signals and missed connections. The presence of Steve's new wife Sylvia further complicates the situation. Beautiful, assured and ten years their senior, Sylvia refuses to stand by and watch Liz and Steve "catch up". Liz's uncertain desire for Steve and Steve's doubts about his own choices force the three of them to confront questions of sexuality, aging and loss, both real loss and the loss of opportunities not taken. Set against the backdrop of pastoral upstate New York, with the Catskill Mountains ever looming in the background and the natural world constantly asserting its presence, Liz, Steve and Sylvia find themselves navigating the emotionally fraught terrain of friendship and intimacy as they fumble towards a more genuine and honest connection with one another. Upstate offers a meditation on the casual disappointments of life and the passing of time.