Released to growing critical acclaim, Kelly Reichardt’s, “Old Joy” breaks a hiatus of more than a decade following the appearance her first film “River of Grass” (in the intervening period she directed a number of short films). “Old Joy” is considered the first step in establishing the director’s style, opting for a minimalist narrative that finds meaning through everyday acts. The film also marks her first collaboration with the writer Jon Raymond and is an adaptation of his short story of the same name (published in the collection “Livability”). The narrative develops around two friends, Kurt (played by Will Oldham, also known as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy) and Mark, who have not seen each other for several years. Kurt telephones Mark with an idea: a trip to the hot springs in the middle of a forest. The two are now at different stages in their lives: Mark is married and his wife is expecting a baby whilst Kurt is a drifter, always doing something different and never settling down. Their reunion therefore has air of melancholy: although they still value the friendship, they no longer share the same interests. This distance is accentuated in a night-time scene when, after some heavy drinking, Kurt confesses his admiration for what his friend has achieved. The film develops out of tiny dramatic moments, opting to track natural, everyday sequences such as the long scene where the pair are alone at the hot springs, enjoying the warm water, backed up by the blunt, low key, dialogue and unrestrained delight of the dog who accompanies them. It is also the film in which Reichardt introduces political commentary as a subtext, inserting a Democratic Party debate heard on Mark’s car radio (and highlighting a notion of verbal chaos lacking in concrete political action). “Old Joy” was a critical success, featuring in various 2006 Best Film listings and winning awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Rotterdam International Film Festival. It was nominated for the Independent Spirit Awards, with the producer Neil Kopp winning the Best Producer award (for “Old Joy” and “Paranoid Park” by Gus Van Sant). The soundtrack features the omnipresent music of Yo La Tengo. “Old Joy” was also a surprising box office success.