A lean, direct narrative and a superb central performance provide emotional impact in this excellent drama. A boy, abandoned by his father, is put into care. The kindness of a stranger offers him a measure of hope, but can he accept it?

Written and directed by the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, the film does not deviate from the naturalistic style of the Dardenne brothers’ earlier works, but a comparatively bright aesthetic was employed, as well as a screenplay inspired by fairy tales. Unusually for a film by the directors, it also uses music. It premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and was co-winner of the festival’s Grand Prix.

‘So movingly told, avoiding melodrama and sensation.’ Chicago Sun-Times.