Angst, seduction, escape and extinction control these many tales—a whisper in the ear convinces a lady to take the plunge, another to take up surfing, and a young man to jump in front of a moving train—and there is joy in settling a score with despised neighbours and a conspiracy under the California sun. Some sketches are laced with passion and loss—a son comes to know his mother from a series of letters following her death, while a face transplant changes a man’s life, but with it comes the unwanted pursuit of the donor’s wife—while others show murderous aspirations and an irrepressible desire for release. Always vital, Vita opens wide the windows into our many lives.