Nicolette Ellis

Jessica Ellis’s What Lies West has a quiet grace that stays with you long after the storylines have neatly concluded. This deceptively simple coming of age tale slips under your skin to become a complex exploration of people at varying stages sharing this distinctly fulfilling experience. Ingeniously, the film questions whether this kind of growth can only happen at a specific time of life. Instead, writer/director Ellis reminds us that real change can be a shared experience, one in which people inspire each other.