Aloft 2015

Nana and Family Arrive to See the Architect

Nana Kunning, a struggling mother, brings her two young sons and other families to an isolated site to be seen by the Architect, a faith healer who builds delicate structures out of branches and invites patients inside them. A lottery determines who will be touched by the Architect's healing, and Nana's son Gully is not chosen. The crowd grows tense and desperate, highlighting the community's fragile hopes.

The Falcon Incident and the Crowd's Demand

Before the Architect can touch the winning patient—a blind boy—the falcon is destroyed by Ivan, Nana's other son, in a sudden act of rage. The furious crowd refuses to give Nana and her sons a ride unless they abandon the bird. When Ivan releases the falcon, a man shoots it dead.

Architect Announces Nana's Unintended Healing

The Architect arrives at Nana's hog farm job and tells her she has already healed the blind boy she touched, even though he never touched the boy's eyes himself. Nana remains skeptical but curious, recognizing a strange power at work. The Architect's revelation draws the man who shot the falcon to beg Nana for help with his child.

Nana Learns to Build Healing Structures

The Architect trains Nana in crafting the healing structures and guiding patients inside them. For a girl's leg injury, she builds a swing that becomes the center of the healing ritual. While Nana's sons wait in the vehicle, Ivan sees Nana with the girl, then later crashes the car on an ice-covered lake, leaving Gully to drown. Grief-stricken, Nana abandons the 10-year-old Ivan to pursue her faith.

Ivan Meets Jania and Agrees to Join

Years later, 31-year-old Ivan is visited by journalist Jania Ressemore, who wants to interview him about the falcons he breeds. When she asks whether he is still in contact with his mother, Ivan cuts the interview short. He learns Jania intends to interview Nana, and he decides to join her journey, bringing one of his falcons.

Trip to Nunavut Begins

Jania and Ivan travel to Nunavut to find Nana's retreat, only to discover the road blocked by a truck accident. They continue on foot across a vast frozen lake, testing their endurance in the cold and solitude.

Ice-Crack Night and Local Help

In the dark, Ivan hears the ice crack and Jania grips his hand, guiding him to take careful steps. A local man spots them and offers help, taking them to his home and lending his truck for the rest of the trip.

Growing Bond and Illness Revealed

On the road, Ivan and Jania grow closer, and Ivan discovers that Jania is ill and making the trip so Nana will heal her. The revelation strains their bond, but they press on toward Nana.

Arrival at Nana's Retreat; Misidentification

They finally reach Nana's isolated retreat, where Nana initially does not recognize Ivan and assumes he is a journalist. During the interview, he asks how a mother could abandon her own son, exposing Nana's guarded guilt.

Nana Consoles Ivan and Provides a Gift

Nana consoles him, admitting that bearing the past has been too much, and she places something in his hand, telling him it is for Jania. The moment underscores the enduring pain and the possibility of healing through compassion.

Stones Reveal and a Quiet Mercy

As the crowd unwraps stones to determine who will be healed, Jania's stone is green, meaning she has not won. Ivan quietly slips a white stone into her hands—something Nana had given him earlier—and Jania bursts into tears of relief, sensing an unexpected mercy.