Portland to Paris

 

Logline

Two middle-aged writers live with the reality of their broken dreams of art and love and virtually fall in love when they meet online. Separately they feel that their bond and the ocean between them might be a mere illusion.

 

Synopsis

 

Portland

Max (62) At first glance you’d say he’s a well paid and successful screenwriter, married to a good looking woman from a well to do family. But Max struggles with his empty marriage and his empty job. He dreams of a great love he feels for a woman on the other side of the ocean and the time when he wrote for the love of the art.

Paris

Zoë (50) struggles with most things in life, except the pure love she finds in little things. Reluctantly she took an assignment to write a children’s book for her “friend” Louise, a publisher; the word “no” was just too hard, as it often is for her.  Her passion for writing and observing people and enjoying the small things in live, finds its way on-line on her blog.

On-line

That is where they meet, on Zoë blog, “Mon grain de Sel” (my two cents worth) and find a way to escape their reality.

Portland

Max hides from his marriage to Cecile, although he feels guilty about closing the door on his long term relationship, his hunger for passion is stronger than his guilt.

Paris

Zoë does a poor job of hiding her feelings, any of her feelings. Her partner Steven stopped taking those serious a long time ago.

To share love

Their love fills most of their days and nights. It becomes practically physical by email and by snail mail they share tokens of their affection.

Portland

It’s easy for him to hide behind the computer screen and show only the side of him that does not get hurt.

Paris

For her it’s easy to feel the nine hours and the ocean between them will keep her safe from falling.

Virtually in love

But love knows no bounds and no on and off line.

And although for both of them it’s very real they struggle with the fact that it is a virtual connection, a connection that finds its way in all their day to day realities.

Reality

Till Max’s “real” life becomes painfully real.  Cecile has been hiding too, she hid the fact that’s she’s very ill.

His loyalty to his wife makes him disconnect with Zoë, leaving her in the dark, at a time where she too is in need of a friend.

Of-line

Although of-line, the connection they feel for the other is still very much on. That pain and confusion causes Zoë to escape her life in Paris completely.  For Max it’s a time to take a good hard look at himself. 

Back to where they’ve started

After Cecile’s death Max goes to look for Zoë in Paris, only to find she let go of her live there. She left him a note asking him to let her go too, but Max can’t let her go a third time.