As you are walking around New York City this coming week, singing carols, shopping and working in those extra hours at the gym, please make time to go see a gem of a film. "Hannah Free" starring Sharon Gless is first and foremost a fine piece of filmmaking with stellar acting, production values and writing. Sharon Gless really knocks this role out of the park with her powerful performance as an aging Hannah in a nursing home reflecting on her life with her life long partner who is dying in another room.

Through the flashbacks, we witness a piece of LGBT history, discrimination, the complexities of ordinary relationships and a moving love story. The struggle to circumvent her partner's family to be by her bedside on the other side of the nursing home brings reality to current day struggles. However it would be a mistake to quickly classify this as solely an LGBT movie or for that matter a lesbian movie. This is story about love, commitment, living life on the edge and melding lives together. Interspersed with beautiful love making - young and old - that gives a needed erotic edge to the film.

In addition to the excellent acting headed by Gless, special attention has to be given to the fine script by Claudia Allen and amazing Director of Photography Gretchen Warthen. There are vivid beautiful colors and perfect pictures frame by frame. A truly beautifully shot and written movie. This film needs and deserves a wide audience.

So treat yourself to the best in independent filmmaking and go see "Hannah Free" this week in New York City. It will be playing at The Quad on 13th Street from December 11th to December 17th. There are five shows every day so there is no excuse to deny yourself the joy of this beautiful, artistic film.