Alessa Woo (Sook-Yin Lee), an art gallery employee in Toronto, has built an image as a rich heiress, but is in dire financial straits.
One day, talented aboriginal artist Ben Crowchild (Adam Beach) moves into the apartment next door, leading to the two sharing a bathroom.
Crowchild, who has similar emotions, reveals to her that he was adopted by Aucoin's father and that he himself is rich, but posing as a poor artist to be better received by the community.
[2] Helen Lee intended to insert themes of gender and race through showing social anxieties, class distinctions, and cultural displacements.
[2] Helen Lee was lent paintings from local artists Michael Snow and Suzy Lake to use for filming, while Ron Sexsmith and Kurt Swinghammer did the soundtrack.