Sometimes the most telling parts of a conversation are the things one cannot find the courage to actually say. This is the intimate and revealing space that charges filmmaker Haroula Rose’s newest short film, “Wedding Dress,” released exclusively on IndieWire on November 23rd.

The penetrating 12-minute film stars Abby Wathen as a newly married bride whose fate forever changes after a surprise visit by the brother-in-law she never knew she had (played by Joshua Leonard). What begins as a hesitant and guarded introduction seamlessly evolves into a candid and vulnerable all day exchange. Emotional walls come tumbling down thanks to the warm embrace of alcohol and infectious music (courtesy of the Allah-La’s and Zac Rae, Rose’s friends who provided song and score), only to be disturbed by the late night homecoming of the ominous husband/brother (Dominic Bogart). Together the newfound bond proves strong with an emboldening feminist and liberating ending, with a visual tableau that harkens back to well-worn classics like “The Graduate.”