THE HOUSE is a psychological drama about a woman haunted by her not-so-distant past life as a Wall Street banker, searching for her way back into the “real” world that she seems to have been disconnected from.

Jean Kaneko (Natalie Skye), swept away by the tsunami of the catastrophic financial meltdown – just quit her coveted job as an investment banker on Wall Street. After a soul-searching journey traveling around the world, she returns home to Vancouver, still floating in limbo. Instead of settling down, she camps out in an empty home owned by a friend’s rich family who never lived there. A house waiting to be sold when the price is right. Jean moves in – vows to finish her travelogue about her journey. She thinks she’s finally found the perfect quiet time – away from any kind of commitment, no phone calls, no job, no friends – she’s her own boss. So she should have no problem focusing on her writing at long last. Or at least that’s what she thinks. To her surprise, she’s actually not the only occupant in the house. She finds out that if she wanted to stay, she’d have to share the place with some former occupants who’ve turned into bad squatters. A cynical college professor (Alex Zahara), his bitter sister (Emilie Ullerup) married to a devoted husband (David Richmond-Peck), a disgruntled cab driver (Zahf Paroo) and a washed-up drifter (Zak Santiago) — all of whom are not even supposed to be there, because they’re actually dead. As Jean reluctantly confronts these souls as tormented as herself, they inevitably end up in an entangled mass of secrets and lies…

Set primarily in one location, this imaginative drama roams in and out of the lives of lost souls, weaving reality with the other side. A ghost story that meditates on the precious gems along with the missed opportunities in this precarious thing we know as life.

The House directed by Desiree Lim

The film Pearls of the Far East will have its World Premiere at the 2011 Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. Here’s more about the film about women and love:

The inner lives and forbidden loves of seven Vietnamese women form the beautiful string that runs through director Cuong Ngo’s feature film debut, ‘Pearls of the Far East.’ Adapted from award-winning stories by Minh Ngoc Nguyen, Ngo weaves a vivid, timeless and unforgettable tapestry with characters brought to life by a gorgeous cast of acclaimed talent from Vietnam, US and Canada, including actresses Truong Ngoc Anh (The White Silk Dress, 2006), Nhu Quynh (Vertical Ray of the Sun, 2000), Hong Anh (Moon at the Bottom of the Well, 2009), Ngo Thanh Van (The Clash, 2010, The Rebel, 2007), Minh Ngoc Nguyen (who also wrote the screenplay based on her own stories), and the legendary Kieu Chinh (Joy Luck Club, 1993).

The breathtaking images and spectacular landscapes from the north to the south of Vietnam, beautifully lensed by Mikhail Petrenko, show sides of the country distinct from traditional Western depictions and frame the mysteries and deep secrets of these lives.

With a haunting and sensual musical score by composers Alexina Louie and Alex Pauk that enhances the film’s quiet beauty, Pearls of the Far East invites audiences to enjoy a meditative journey that illuminates the universal thirst to love and be loved.

Pearls of the Far East trailer