Personal Velocity

Colour, 35mm
USA, 2002, 86 min
Section: Forum of Independents

Synopsis

Delia is a young mother stuck in an abusive relationship with her husband for the last twelve years. One night, after he brutally beats her, Delia finally attempts to reclaim some of the power she’s lost. Greta is an ambitious cook-book editor at the crossroads of life, trying to face the spectre of infidelity whilst enduring her relationship with her kind but dreary husband. And Paula is thrust into crisis after having a near-death experience. Driving to her mother’s home, she picks up a hitchhiker, a badly beaten young boy who helps her discover a new sense of spirit. Personal Velocity tells the stories of three women struggling to make sense of their lives. Each of them is forced to make a decision – a decision which will change their lives forever.

About the director

Rebecca Miller (b. 1962, Roxbury), the daughter of playwright Arthur Miller, studied painting, then had a brief career as an actress. In 1991 she directed her father’s play After the Fall at the Cincinatti Ensemble Theatre. After the short film Florence (1991) she directed her first feature Angela (1995), which won a couple of awards at Sundance. Personal Velocity is Miller’s second feature film, based on her book of short stories of the same name. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, and also the award for Excellence in Cinematography.