Peter Dawson, a high profile defense lawyer is literally and figuratively about to enter the case of his life. Going in for the final day of his trial, Peter must defend a man he knows is guilty.  He wins his case by manipulating the evidence and witnesses in accordance with the law. While the moralistic prosecuting lawyer, Emma Bates, questions his ethics, Peter’s boss awards him with a high profile case - the type a lawyer would wait his whole life for. Pressured by his boss, and his own desire to win this next case Peter intends to work late and miss his son’s fifth birthday party.

 

Peter enters the newly relocated file room, where all the case documents are kept. The room is completely deserted and strangely eerie. Pressured for time, Peter decides to find the files himself, but is dismayed to discover that all is not as it seems.

 

After opening one of the files, it dawns on Peter that this lifeless room with it’s myriad of files, is a cataloging system for his entire life. Within each of the files is a record of Peter’s every thought, memory and action in a detail that his own memory cannot match. With a mix of curiosity and alarm Peter investigates the files until he realizes he’s not alone... A deliberately vague librarian, who fits no mold of time or place, strangely appears. With an innate authority and a wonderful sense of humor, the librarian guides Peter to certain files, where he challenges him to confront aspects of his life he would rather keep filed away.

 

Peter is initially defensive and arrogant, but as the files progress in seriousness, his arguments crumble until the point where he realizes he is indefensible. Confronted with an overwhelming sense of shame and regret over his life, Peter desperately tries to destroy the files, but they are indestructible. Defeated and utterly helpless, Peter knows his life needs to change.

 

Reaching out to Peter in his vulnerability and hopelessness, the librarian has one last thing to do. Taking one of the files, which Peter tried so hard to destroy, he pulls out a rustic stamp and slams it down on the file with finality. The word ‘CLEARED’ now covers the page in large red ink. Peter watches in amazement as the contents of the page disappear, leaving him with a blank page and a clean slate. As he looks up, he realizes that the librarian has also mysteriously disappeared, along with all the contents of the files. Awash with relief and gratitude Peter can scarcely believe what has just happened – he has been given a new beginning.

 

With a huge weight lifted from his shoulders, Peter leaves the room. As he closes the door, he looks back, not sure if it was all a dream... But real or not, what matter’s is that Peter will never be the same. With the stride of a man full of conviction and fresh perspective, Peter walks to the receptionist desk to hand back the file on the Freeman case and head home to his wife and son.