Based on the childhood of prize-winning director Beata Parkanová (The Word), Tiny Lights shows the impact of family turmoil on six-year-old Amálka. There’s a strain in the relationship of Amalka’s parents and between Amálka’s mother and grandmother. Parkanová’s approach to storytelling is immersive, keeping the camera at Amálka’s eye level and presenting the narrative as she experiences it. The cinematography by Tomáš Jurícek enhances this, using rich, saturated colors that make each moment feel like a vivid childhood memory. The visuals are striking—warm tones of sun-drenched fields contrast with the cooler hues of her home, reflecting the comfort she finds in nature versus the unease of her domestic life. The story takes place over the course of a single day, and its poignancy derives from the fact that we, if not Amalka, are fully aware that her life is soon going to change, possibly forever. –AS