Dir. Céline Sciamma
2021 | 72 mins | France
French with English subtitles
Nina Meurisse, Gabrielle Sanz, Josephine Sanz

SHOWING TIMES:

• Fri 26 Nov: 8pm
• Sat 27 Nov: 5pm
• Sun 28 Nov: 6pm
• Sun 28 Nov: 7.45pm
• Mon 29 Nov: 2pm
• Mon 29 Nov: 8.30pm
• Tue 30 Nov: 6pm
• Wed 1 Dec: 2pm
• Wed 1 Dec: 8.15pm
• Thu 2 Dec: 3pm
• Thu 2 Dec: 8.25pm

In this radiant tale, Céline Sciamma crafts a mysterious and delicate exploration of childhood and grief.

Following her grandmother’s death, eight-year-old Nelly travels to the old woman’s home to help her parents pack everything up. After her mother unexpectedly leaves, Nelly befriends a little girl in a nearby forest – an encounter that reveals a strange and beguiling new world.

You don’t want to know too much about Petite Maman in advance to fully appreciate its quiet yet powerful magic. Tightly packed into its brief running time and realised entirely at a child’s perspective, Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire) draws inspiration from the fantastical world of Hayao Miyazaki to explore the theme of the Mother and the complexity of growing-up. Evocative autumnal cinematography (thanks to director of photography extraordinaire Claire Mathon), understated mise-en-scène and pitch-perfect performances from its young cast drive this deeply imaginative and tender film.

“The acclaimed French director has created another gem with this magical story”

★★★★★ – THE OBSERVER

TRIPLE F-RATED:

Directed by a woman, written by a woman and starring a significant woman.

F-Rating is a new rating for films directed by women, written by women and/or with significant female characters on screen, in their own right. Find out more here >>

VENUE: EXETER PHOENIX, STUDIO 74

*Subject to a £1.50 ticketing system charge. We don’t charge this to make a profit. Find out more >>