A poor white sharecropper and his Cherokee wife must decide if they will allow their youngest son to leave their home with a wealthy lawyer and become a player for the town's football team.

A Canadian schoolteacher sets up shop on a tiny, near-barren island off the coast of Labrador. Before long, what begins as a peaceful new life full of love and community becomes a cold, icy prison.

An African American mother prepares dinner with her shy daughter as they wait for her other daughter, an educated graduate trying to embrace her African roots, to arrive. In a tense reunion, the educated daughter's newfound identity and ideals clash with the family's established lifestyle.

A middle-aged Canadian writer reflects on her life, and recalls a family friend who has spent decades drifting in and out of her life, and who leaves chaos and clarity in her wake.

A Jewish-American man returns from World War II to an excruciating situation: he must tell his parents and his fiancee that he is settling in Israel. During their heartbreaking reunion, he and his family confront what it means to belong and debate how the Jewish people can achieve it.

Through conversations with his great-great aunt, a man learns the history of a formerly enslaved family matriarch. His brother’s recent arrest gains new meaning as he learns more about his ancestors.

An American expat who lives in Rome struggles to understand his adopted country, especially the Italian language. When he finally finds the right teacher, he is overjoyed, but her unique personal life quickly pervades their lessons and confounds their rapport.

An Italian poet visits her friend in Madagascar, where they attempt to help the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy Italian.