In Winter (2017)

In Winter is an independent feature emerging from the classical European tradition but presented in a timeless North American context and idiom, shot in northern MN USA. We join Annika, a stoic and solitary young woman in difficult circumstances, in the barren human landscape of a small working class northern town in mid-winter. Her limited world is unsettled by the arrival of Mark, an older, wealthy stranger from out of town, with whom she becomes entangled in a sexual affair. Invited to an upscale cocktail party with Mark, Annika encounters Andrew and Kate, jaded upper class party hosts, and a noisy group of guests. She is put on the spot by Kate, who is herself suffering from a similar oppressive circumstance, though in more opulent surroundings. Faced with growing discomfort, and insight into her reality and situation, Annika sneaks out, only to be drawn into a sordid encounter with a fellow loner at a local bar, from which she narrowly escapes back to the relative safety of Mark's hotel room. The next morning, as townsfolk gather for a bleak sermon on the Book of Job, prepared by chaste but sensually driven Father Jim, Annika and Mark lose themselves in lovemaking. A church hymn unfolds while the camera covers the expectant faces of townsfolk, worn by daily cares, and the intertwined bodies of the two lovers. Finally, a panorama of ice, industrial buildings, and the empty sky lead to a poignant but ambiguous final conversation.