In the cold, winter light of the rural Mississippi Delta, Marlee (Tarra Riggs), a single African-American mother, struggles to scratch a living for herself and her 12-year-old son, James (JimMyron Ross), who has begun to stumble under drug and violence pressures. So when the opportunity to seek safe harbor at a new home arises, she grabs it, even though the property is shared by Lawrence (Michael J. Smith, Sr.), a man with whom she has a long and bitter past. With circumstances thrusting them into proximity, a subtle interdependence and common purpose emerge for Marlee and Lawrence, as they tend to old wounds, test new waters, and tentatively move forward.

First-time director Lance Hammer talked with us about his interest in the tonal environment of the Mississippi Delta, the relationship between editing and architecture, and how he chose the local, nonprofessional actors whose performances carry the film.