Nearly a decade after a tragic accident costs a young man his life, his sister, Amanda (Gabrielle Kalomiris) and best friend, David (Nathaniel Ansbach) are still peeling back the layers of grief and guilt that come with being left behind.

Skipping Stones

DESERT HEARTS depended on the connection between its two lead actors, Patricia Charbonneau and Helen Shaver, and on their trust in director Donna Deitch. In the following program, made by the Criterion Collection in New York in 2017, the actors and the director discuss the making of the film, the close bond they formed, and the ways it changed their lives.