Parenting is a tough job on its own, but it’s much more so when you’re trying to raise a child while in prison. Lion’s Den is centered on a mother accused of murder in Argentina, and while it’s a slightly more calmer experience than the prisons we’re used to seeing in movies, it still depicts a pretty tough life, with Julia having to make do with limited resources for her kid, but also having to win her case so that she can still parent Tomás beyond the age of four, as per Argentine law. It’s tough to watch, with the assault, strip searches, and riots, but it’s also empathetic, with writer-director Pablo Trapero’s neo-realist style.

Martina Gusmán.