14-year-old Hayat, no longer a child but not yet a woman, lives with her father and grandfather by the shores of the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Her father works as a fisherman but makes most of his money through shady dealings. Even more corrosive than the family’s poverty is their neglect toward Hayat.

One of Turkey’s top filmmakers, Reha Erdem, directs this transformative gem about the strength and perseverance of a strong, young heroine. It is a tale of universal contrasts—big city, pastoral riverside—and familial challenges told in equal parts lyrical poetry and harsh reality.