Grief is a difficult and often strange process. The journey is different for every individual, and certainly for every family. But it comes at you in strange ways, even when time has passed. That’s at the heart of East of Wall, the story of a mother and daughter trying to find a way forward while protecting their way of life.

The film played the festival circuit earlier this year and now opens in limited release today. It starts Tabatha Zimiga as a version of herself, telling her story of work and struggle on a ranch in the Dakotas.

The film picks up with Tabatha trying to keep the ranch afloat. She’s also trying to keep her daughter, Porshia, going. It isn’t easy after Porshia’s father passed about a year earlier. That has put a financial strain on to this grieving mother-and-daughter. It’s also made it more difficult to keep the ranch going successfully.

When Tabatha’s work—and her large spread—catch the eye of a local investor, Roy (Scoot McNairy), it presents an option. It could be the answer to her financial woes. But it would cost her ownership of the ranch, and possibly end her outreach to wayward teens in the area. As she works with Roy, she learns to better market and sell the horses she trains.

All the while, Tabatha and Porshia are struggling through their own grief, and the distance in their relationship. Can they find a way forward without having to sacrifice their home?

This film comes from writer/director Kate Beecroft, who works hard to make this an authentic and lived-in world. To that end, most of the performers in the film are real people who are playing versions of themselves. The only recognizable actors are McNairy and Jennifer Ehle, who plays Tabatha’s mom.

The film does a great job of capturing the natural beauty of the region. There is great care taken to showcase the area and this way of life. It’s often peaceful and beautiful, even as the characters that populate it seem to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders.

It also works in large part thanks to Tabatha, who does a beautiful job in the lead role. You sense her passion, her frustration and, at times, her desperation. She’s a great anchor for a story that feels authentic and engaging as you’re following these people through their struggles.

East of Wall opens in theaters today.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.