Flow (2024) ****

Fabulous animated feature from Latvia. It's the story of a cat whose life is upended by a massive flood, leading to an unexpected and touching alliance with a diverse group of animals: a capybara, a bird, a lemur, and a dog. Not unlike "Ponyo" (2009) and "Life Of Pi" (2012), but surprisingly different in a variety of ways.

The Seed Of The Sacred Fig (2024) ****

Set during the anti-hijab protests in Iran, it's a tense, surprising drama about an investigative judge who finds himself in a tug-of-war against his wife and two daughters. The film was secretly shot in Iran by dissident director Mohammad Rasoulof, who is now wanted by the police in his own country, where he has been sentenced to eight years in prison, flogging, a fine and the confiscation of property. However, he managed to escape from Iran to attend the Cannes Film Festival, where he received a Special Award for his film.

Emilia Perez (2024) ****

Surprising and amazing French film set in Mexico, with a story straight out of a Latin American telenovela, stunning musical numbers, a powerful political message and superlative acting performances from Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldana and Adriana Paz (who all won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival).