Céline Sciama’s latest film PETITE MAMAN is an absolute delight, a gentle little exploration of family, friendship and grief. Ever wondered if you’d get along with your parents if you could meet them when they were children? Young Nelly gets to find out. “Why do you always ask questions before you sleep?” / “Because it’s when I see you”. As she proved with TOMBOY, Sciama knows the way to get a great performance out of a kid is to just let them play and be kids, to let their innate energy shine through. The story is a low-key magical realist piece with most of the big emotional hits coming from performance rather than dialogue or music, so it’s a good job Joséphine and Gabrielle Sanz, playing eight year-old Nelly and the same aged version of her mother Marion, are such natural screen presences. SSP