The Beautifully Simple World Of GAIA

I saw a movie last night, that is currently not setup for distribution, but is still making the rounds at film festivals and special screenings. It’s a beautifully shot movie by cinematographer turned writer/director Jason Lehel. And is bound to leave you thinking about life, death, and just how we deal with the situations that we go through.

It’s hard to really explain beyond the simple idea of a girl that is left in the desert after being sexually assaulted; who is then found and housed by a group of Native Americans. The story follows the girl (played magnificently by Emily Lape) – whose name is credited as Gaia, but I don’t know that I actually heard her called that in the movie – as she spends her time getting acquainted with and being accepted into the family of Ed (played by Ed Mendoza), his grand-daughter, Jerica (played by Jerica Mendoza). She spends a lot of time sleeping, and dreaming of the multiple abuses and tragedies she’s gone through in her life; and the rest of her time trying to fit in with her new family and going through the stages of coping and healing from her wounds.