Room

Colour, 35 mm
USA, 2005, 83 min
Section: Forum of Independents

Synopsis

Julia Barker is late for work again at the Paradise Bingo hall. Struggling to make ends meet and raise her two daughters, Julia suppresses her own needs and desires. But excruciating migraines keep coming back to her as some kind of punishment. Her tormented mind evokes disturbing visions: water, rafters and then the blinding white windows of a room the size of a warehouse. The space is menacing, mysterious but also seductive. The visions intensify and soon she starts to receive signs. Julia knows that she must find the room. Desperate, she robs the bingo hall, abandons her family and flies to New York. Her pilgrimage has begun.

About the director

Kyle Henry has directed two documentaries: American Cowboy, a 1998 Student Academy Award winner, and University Inc. (1999). His short film N.EW Y.ORK C.ASINO won Best Experimental Short at the SXSW film festival in Texas, USA, in 2003. Kyle is also the editor of the Sundance award-wining film Manito (2002) and the PBS documentaries: Are the Kids Alright (2004) and Learning to Swallow (2005). He lives in Austin, Texas. Room (2005) is his feature debut.