Ponette (1996) ***

Nothing is more unbearable than the sight of a 4-year-old girl crying after the death of her mother. Yet even more heartbreaking is her refusal to accept the loss and her blind faith in the possibility of a reunion with her. Like Bess, the heroine of "Breaking the Waves", Ponette believes in miracles with a fervor that will crack viewers' hearts wide open with empathy.