Every Emotion Costs is an exploration of the reality of returning home to the reserve to face family, community, and the ceremony of death. We follow Quilla and her sister June as they return to bury their mentally ill mother. Upon arrival, Quilla must deal with a sister she hasn’t spoken to in years, her past loves that emerge from the forest, and her resentment towards her dead mother. Emotionally abandoned by her mother, Quilla explores her upbringing on the reserve and her past relationships, and finds out what drove her away. From this sombre experience, we see that addiction reveals the characters lives, illuminating their personal rituals, pain, lust, and disappointment. It is the family Quilla left behind on the reserve that allows her to discover herself amongst all the tragedy in her life.