Chris Pine Searches for 'Love and Connection' in Trailer for “Poolman”, His Directorial Debut (Exclusive)

"It was so joyful and the most creative I’ve ever gotten to be on set," says Chris Pine

Chris Pine is caught up in a criminal conspiracy in his star-studded directorial debut.

PEOPLE has the exclusive trailer for Pine's Poolman, which he co-wrote, stars in and directs. The trailer shows the star as a Los Angeles pool attendee named Darren Barrenman, who is approached by a mysterious woman (DeWanda Wise) for his assistance with exposing a corrupt politician.

"It was a flow state for months. There wasn’t time to think or get in my head," Pine, 43, tells PEOPLE of directing himself in the movie, which comes more than 20 years after he first began acting in Hollywood. "It was so joyful and the most creative I’ve ever gotten to be on set."

A synopsis for Poolman describes Pine's character as "a native Los Angeleno who spends his days looking after the pool of the Tahitian Tiki apartment block and fighting to make his hometown a better place to live."

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"When he is tasked by a femme fatale to uncover the truth behind a shady business deal, Darren enlists the help of his friends to take on a corrupt politician and a greedy land developer," the synopsis adds. "His investigation reveals a hidden truth about his beloved city and himself."

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Pine says, "We hope you leave the theater with a smile, feeling a little bit lighter than when you came in. Just a moment to escape the day-to-day with a story that delights."

The star calls his character "a dreamer whose search for love and connection won’t be bullied into submission by a cynical world."

"I like that kind of optimism and I think audiences will too," adds Pine.

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Poolman also stars Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stephen Tobolowsky, Clancy Brown, John Ortiz and Ray Wise, whom Pine describes as a "hall-of-fame team."

"Just getting to work with one of them would be fortunate. The fact that they all said yes was unbelievable," he says. "I’m forever grateful they gave their time and talents to the film."

Poolman, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September, is in theaters May 10.

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