101 minutes – Drama
Language: English
Festival release date: September 12, 2015 (TIFF)
Canadian release date: June 3, 2016
DVD release date: October 4, 2016
Canadian distributor: Elevation Pictures

In the not-too-distant future, two ambitious young women, Nell and Eva, live with their father in a lovely but run-down home up in the mountains somewhere on the West Coast. Suddenly the power goes out; no one knows why. No electricity, no gasoline. Their solar power system isn’t working. Over the following days, the radio reports a thousand theories: technical breakdowns, terrorism, disease and uncontrolled violence across the continent. Then, one day, the radio stops broadcasting. Absolute silence. Step by ominous step, everything that Nell, a would-be academic, and Eva, a hard working contemporary dancer, have come to rely on is stripped away: parental protection, information, food, safety, friends, lovers, music – all gone. They are faced with a world where rumor is the only guide, trust is a scarce commodity, gas is king and loneliness is excruciating. To battle starvation, invasion and despair, Nell and Eva fall deeper into a primitive life that tests their endurance and bond. Ultimately, the sisters must work together to survive and learn to discover what the earth will provide. They find comfort in cherishing the memories of the happy family life they once shared. The natural world, art & memory sustain them. But for how long? This film is based on the novel by Jean Hegland.

Trailer and poster courtesy of Elevation Pictures.