As a child, Paul Prior stumbled upon his father′s secret den - a place he set aside to indulge his love of good wine, literature and independent thought. He kept it a secret from his puritanical wife, and Paul vowed to honor that confidence. Seventeen years after he left his isolated New Zealand hometown, war photographer Paul returns when his father dies. Revisiting the derelict den, he meets 16-year old Celia, who also uses the old den as an escape of sorts. She happens to be his ex-girlfriend Jackie′s daughter, and after initially dismissing her out of hand, they become friends. Of their friendship, Paul′s brother is judgmental and Jackie is envious - and when Celia goes missing, Paul becomes the prime suspect. Paul is keeping yet another secret, this time about Celia′s ticket to Spain. Now, Paul must confront the family tragedy and betrayal that drove him away all those years before and deal with the consequences of his life-long dedication to silence. The film is about a damaged soul, Paul, which culminates in a violent meeting of past and present.