DRYLAND - AFI Thesis Film

Directed and Co-Written by Liv Colliander

For sixteen-year-old Mia, swimming is her only hope for a way out of the isolated desert town she lives in with her struggling single mother, Joyce. When Mia returns from swim practice one afternoon, she finds Joyce attempting suicide and rushes her to the hospital just in time – saving her life. But once they return home, their relationship is changed forever. A suffocating silence fills the home and Mia keeps the event a secret from the outside world. Mia continues to train with iron focus for an upcoming competition, hoping that her performance at the swim meet will give her mother something to live for. But at the pivotal moment, the bubble of pain and shame bursts, forcing mother and daughter to confront their unspoken trauma.

English / 2015 / Color / 5.1 Surround / 16x9 / NTSC 21:46

(Film completed December 2015)

Sold to ShortsTV by Shorts International and AMC Networks International in 2017

Watch the whole movie here:

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DRYLAND FULL MOVIE