Tom (Ryan Northcott), a rising political star in Aberhart's 1930s government, is blackmailed by an underage girl. He returns home to small-town Alberta to gain the financial help of his brother Dan (Lonni Olson). Dan has personal problems of his own. His wife Grace (Rae Farrer) can't conceive, while his ill-stricken sister-in-law Cecile is the true love of Dan's life. When Dan confesses his desire to help Grace have a child, Tom suggests they use a surrogate, which Dan takes to mean Cecile, creating another potential family scandal. Loyalty, greed, and desperation binds the family, as everyone finds their own desires for escape.

THE TIES THAT BIND is the first feature by Calgary’s James Reckseidler, who's been a fixture in our independent filmmaking community for some time. His debut film is a large scale, incredibly ambitious period piece, showcasing our independent industry’s strength in order to build his dreamy 1930’s Alberta landscape, and co-create with a local team of actors and crew, to bring this thriller to life.