Treading Water

USA, 2001. 95 mins. Wolfe Vid.

Casey is a longshorewoman who seems to have everything: she lives on a boat with her beautiful social worker girlfriend Alex, and they are very much in love. But there's nothing like the holidays to bring out the drama of the average family. Casey has rejected her privileged upbringing and restores old boats for a living. What she can't reject is her deep attachment to her family living just across the bay. When the Olsens come together for Christmas, the unwrapping of presents takes a back seat to the unraveling of emotions. Against the backdrop of the gorgeous New England coast, Director Lauren Himmel tells a tender story of repression and the changing notions of family.

Director: Lauren Himmel