Director Sarah Jayne and writer-co-director Ivan Malekin’s feature film, After the Act, is an experimental drama set over 24 hours in Berlin. The story follows three young adults whose bond of friendship unravels after an act of betrayal.
Sam (Jacob Lefton) and Mia (Laura Petracco) are both writers living together in an apartment in Berlin. This morning should be like any other for the couple. At breakfast, Mia notices Sam is withdrawn and questions him about his clubbing the night before. She then discusses a new job opportunity, hoping for his support, but Sam’s responses feel defensive in nature. When Sam casually tells Mia to say hi to Becca (Jessica Sy) at their ladies’ brunch, Mia gets suspicious, and a confession from Sam follows: he slept with Becca last night. He says it was “just sex” and was all due to his mind being clouded by ecstasy and poor judgment. With a swift slap to the face, Mia storms out of the apartment.
Meanwhile, Becca wakes up alone, reliving the events of last night. Though she tries to distract herself with yoga and a walk through Berlin, she can’t fully escape the weight of what happened with Sam. While meeting her friends at the ladies’ brunch, they can’t help but notice Becca’s sunny disposition compared to Mia’s growing standoffishness with the group since she started dating Sam. Back at the apartment, Sam offers a half-hearted apology and tries to justify his actions. Mia quickly cuts through his excuses. Frustrated and wounded, she declares she will sleep with someone else—like Sam, it’s just sex, no love. Sam keeps Mia from leaving as their relationship teeters on the brink of collapse. To no avail, Mia leaves and insists on confronting a remorseful Becca.
“…follows three young adults whose bond of friendship unravels after an act of betrayal”
After the Act was crafted through an improvisational process. Working from outlines, the cast improvised all of their dialogue, giving the film a spontaneous, lived-in feel. Drawing inspiration from arthouse traditions and slow cinema, the story balances silences, authentic moments, and emotional conflicts. The filmmakers kept the shoot tight, stripping it down to its essentials, aiming to capture authentic human connection and the messy contradictions of intimacy.
I see After the Act as an intriguing experimental film about betrayal. The improvisation tells us right away that this is not going to be a traditional story, as it prioritizes authenticity over drama. For me, the setup to the story’s conflict felt a lot like the actors getting used to the process, but when we reach the emotional core of the story, that’s where After the Act shines.
In improvisational dramas, most filmmakers make the mistake of driving the emotional narrative through dialogue. Here, the cast tells their individual stories through their characters’ emotions, allowing us to walk in their shoes. Sam has to deal with the consequences of his cheating. Becca lives with the guilt of hurting her friend over a night of passion. Mia acts out in revenge. By seeing our characters in action, we relate to them far more than if we had to sit through pages of dialogue.
After the Act is a raw, intimate exploration of love, betrayal, and the choices that can’t be undone. It’s an example of what indie dramas can deliver that big studio films can’t. The improvised performances deliver an authenticity that feels genuine instead of staged, allowing audiences to experience the silence, tension, and heartbreak. In the end, it is a film that dares to ask: what happens when love and trust shatter in a single night?
For more information, visit the After the Act official website.
"…this is not going to be a traditional story..."
