Writer-director Jim Akin’s autobiographical second feature follows 12-year-old Helena Lee’s lyrical pilgrimage from summer to spring with her self-destructive surf-rat father in the carnival of California’s Venice Beach. The film introduces Moriah Blonna as the title character in Akin's music-driven celebration of impermanence and self-reliance. Costarring Tom Dunne, with an original soundtrack featuring acclaimed singer-songwriter Maria McKee (who plays the role of Helena’s mother).

"…this is a film well worth seeking out—a graceful and intelligent hymn to youth, perseverance and self-reliance featuring hypnotic imagery, captivating performances, a soundtrack that you will want to download as soon as possible and a final shot that will haunt you for a long time after it ends." (4 out of 4 stars)
-Peter Sobczynski, RogerEbert.com