Friday evening at the Cambridge Film Festival saw the theatrical release of Céline Sciamma’s latest film Petite Maman.

With childhood at its core it is easy to draw comparisons to her sophomore feature Tomboy which has just been added to MUBI and is also available on BFI Player.

Sciamma’s films share a comforting familiarity in their filmmaking approach and Petite Maman is no different. The simplicity yet beauty in the writing, the warm colour palette and immaculate framing, and the intimacy between lead characters – it’s all there.

Sciamma has an incredible skill of capturing this intimacy on film and the scenes between twin actresses Joséphine and Gabrielle Sanz are as endearing as anything you’re likely to see on film this year. A sequence where the pair attempt pancake making is very sweet and wholesome but it’s the scenes of role playing that capture a charm only children can carry. 

When the film goes into enchanting fairytale territory with a high concept question: ”what would it be like to meet your parent when they were a child?’, it’s still grounded firmly in naturalism and subtly, not allowing for any fantastical elements to interfere with the beautiful interactions between the children. Petite Maman is a quiet and gentle piece of cinema that’s power lies in the honesty of childhood.