The calm of Jaya’s youth is shattered through employment in his estranged father’s illicit fishing business, run from an isolated jetty. While the rigours of work and a bullying regime force him to become self-sufficient, his father’s respect remains elusive. With a minimalist’s eye for detail, its verité grasp of adulthood’s effects on youth proves that neo-realism remains compassionate and essential. Truffaut and De Sica would be proud.