Sean lived to keep his loved ones guessing. He held his practical, churchgoing brother, Ben, at an emotional distance, and put no-nonsense bartender Patrick through a manipulative mating game. Even after Patrick succumbed to Sean's charms, Sean insisted they keep their relationship, and Sean's sexual orientation, hidden from his family.

An intimate drama of subtle mood shifts and unspoken truths, The Point of Boxes shows what happens when an enigmatic man is no longer around to orchestrate his mysteries. Faced with the task of cleaning up Sean's cluttered home, Ben and Patrick work as an uneasy team. But as Sean's life is exhumed, grudges, suspicions and regrets simmer — and when they find a box Sean has forbidden anyone to open, the tension between the two survivors erupts.

• A selection of the 2006 Sacramento International Film Festival