In Transit
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Film Production Companies: BKE Productions, Little Language Films
and Valmora Productions
Rating: NR / Run Time: 82
Language: English
Director: Jaclyn Bethany
Writer: Alex Sarrigeorgiou
Starring: Alex Sarrigeorgiou, François Arnaud, Theodore Bouloukos
and Jennifer Ehle

“It’s interesting, your job. You get to observe people so intimately, and watch them go about their lives every night.”

Lucy (Sarrigeorgiou) is mostly content with her life in Maine. Working behind the bar once co-owned and built by her late father, she’s a fixture in the small community. She lives with her boyfriend, talented chef Tom (Arnaud), and life is… good. Not great, but good. Then, things begin to shift. The bar’s co-owner Garry (Bouloukos) announces that he’s decided to sell—he needs to move on, care for his family, and feels the time is right. Lucy and Tom decide they’ll try to buy the bar, but Garry needs time to think about it. Doing so, however, will require a significant amount of money.

Enter Ilse (Ehle), an artist who has lived all over the world but now finds herself creatively blocked. Through a colleague, she comes to stay in a small, future artist residency in town. She frequents the bar, soaking in the atmosphere—and, in doing so, takes notice of Lucy. One night, while sketching her, the two strike up a conversation. Through a bit of negotiation, Ilse offers Lucy $25 an hour to pose for her, captivated by Lucy’s natural poses. Lucy agrees, seeing an opportunity to bring in extra funds, but chooses not to tell Tom—at least not at first.

As their sessions progress, Lucy and Ilse slowly reveal intimate details about their lives. During one visit, Lucy casually settles into a chair that sparks inspiration for Ilse, who asks her to hold the pose—and then requests she pose nude. Initially uncomfortable, Lucy hesitates, but eventually agrees.

Over time, Ilse becomes more entwined with Lucy and Tom, sharing meals and insisting they attend the premiere of her upcoming art show, which will feature a portrait of Lucy. While Tom learns some details about the work, he isn’t fully aware of everything—including a moment between Ilse and Lucy where their professional relationship briefly takes a turn. Without saying too much more, In Transit becomes a poignant story about two women finding new meaning in life through each other.

In her first feature as a writer, Sarrigeorgiou delivers a beautiful, thought-provoking film that smartly avoids painting villains. Instead, she crafts human beings—flawed, searching, and unable to avoid the pain that inevitably crosses their paths. The relationship between Ilse and Lucy feels authentic, not just a convenient plot device. Sarrigeorgiou’s performance makes you feel every flicker of Lucy’s inner life, while Ehle shines in a quiet, reserved turn that hints at the kind of life Lucy might long for.

Visually, the film is stunning. Samantha Tetro’s cinematography offers frames that feel like works of art themselves—lingering shots of Ilse’s studio, the snow-covered New England landscape, and painterly compositions throughout. The imagery is elevated by Juan Pablo Daranas Molina’s beautiful, at times haunting piano score, evoking shades of Eyes Wide Shut. Director Jaclyn Bethany draws us into this world and holds us there until she’s ready to let us go, leaving us to ponder what comes next as the credits roll.

All in all, this tender, female-driven narrative is thought-provoking and deeply honest, with Sarrigeorgiou proving herself a powerful new voice with wonderful things ahead.

For an exclusive discussion with Writer, Producer and Performer Alex Sarrigeorgiou, Director and Producer Jaclyn Bethany, Performer Franço is Arnaud and Producer C.C. Kellogg, click HERE.