An isolated sick girl and a curious boy strike up a hidden relationship at a roadside motel. “Proxy,” directed by Eric Schuman, lands in unique territory — part unsettling mystery, part coming-of-age drama about loneliness and the desire for connection. Russ lives and works at a motel run by his parents. When Beverly and her mother arrive to town to see a specialized doctor, Russ becomes fascinated and tries to befriend her. But before long, the mother, a harried woman with suspect intentions, intervenes in the relationship. Foreboding and quietly intense, this psychological exploration of sickness, in its various forms, documents two vulnerable young people in their attempt to establish some level of independence. Schuman gets great, sensitive performances from its young leads, Gio Schwab and Nicolina Marra, and builds around them an engrossing scenario, able to sustain itself while withholding key pieces of the puzzle.

Directed by Eric Schuman. Written by Inger Dietrichs & Eric Schuman. Starring Gio Schwab, Nicolina Marra, Lisa Velten-Smith, and Tom Martin. Produced by Birgit Gernbock. Cinematographer: Angelos Rompolis. Editor: Eric Schuman & George Sikharulidze. Production Design by Julia Doak Fields. Music by Tenement.