Lion's Den

How do you raise a child in prison? Argentinian director Pablo Trapero tackles that question with affecting skill in this initially squalid yet ultimately uplifting social drama. Pregnant Julia (Martina Gusman) is jailed for the murder of her boyfriend's male lover, although she was too stoned to remember what actually happened. At first she is also unmoved by her impending motherhood, but thanks to her growing love for her cell-born son, Julia's struggle to provide what's best for him becomes a moving testament to fierce parental resolve, especially when her estranged mother arrives to give the boy a normal life outside the penitentiary. Shot in an actual maximum-security detention centre, using real inmates as extras, this tough but quietly touching gem features a luminous performance by Gusman (Trapero's wife). Her portrayal of Julia's journey from trashy tart to Mother Courage holds such believable, intense compassion, it proves impossible to resist.