Reminiscent of the social realism found in her celebrated features, Andrea Arnold’s bracing, Oscar®-winning short was shot on location in her hometown of Dartford. Packing a hefty emotional punch, the film confronts the brutality of working-class motherhood with astonishing frankness and empathy.

Fish Tank kickstarted Michael Fassbender’s acting career, but it was newcomer Katie Jarvis who stole the show with her raw and volatile portrayal of a teenager’s search for transcendence amid poverty. This beautiful, explosive portrait of innocence lost won Andrea Arnold the Cannes Jury Prize.

Marking her long-awaited return to fiction filmmaking, Andrea Arnold’s tender and surprising coming-of-age fable heralds an astounding debut from newcomer Nykiya Adams. Buoyed by spirited turns from Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski, Bird leaps from overlooked fringes of life toward sky-high dreams.