Pin Cushion

Single mother Lyn has a huge, furry cat hat; and her daughter Iona, like all teenagers, is embarrassed as hell by her mother. Iona tries to make friends with the popular girls in her class, but peer pressure and naivety mean her desire for acceptance has terrible consequences. Now that Lyn can no longer be best friends with her adolescent daughter, she too looks for new social contacts, only to encounter the same problems. So as not to worry Iona, she creates a colourful fantasy world full of kittens and pastel knitting. Soft armour against the outside world.

Debut director Deborah Haywood draws on personal experience in this heartrending fairy tale. Lily Newmark – one of the new faces of Chanel – shines in her first lead role, and Joanna Scanlan is heart-breaking as Lyn, barely managing to stay on her feet in a world in which everyone takes advantage of her vulnerability.

With IFFR Live screening on Fri 26 Jan.