In this charming and bittersweet winner of the Berlinale’s Generation Kplus Grand Prix, a man fights his worst impulses to be a better father to his two emigrating daughters.

Against the backdrop of an early 90s Peru in economic and societal freefall, Reinas introduces us to the loving family of middle-class Elena and her daughters, adolescent Aurora and tween Lucía. Estranged from the girls’ charismatic but unreliable father Carlos, Elena has an escape plan via a job in the US, but she needs Carlos’s signature for Aurora and Lucía’s departure permits. He agrees to sign – but with the looming prospect of losing his titular queens, Carlos tries his best to make amends.

A country with inflation at 7000 per cent, a planned military coup and a dictatorial president is not a typical canvas for a coming-of-age crowd-pleaser, but Swiss-Peruvian filmmaker Klaudia Reynicke smartly uses it to draw contemporary parallels that reveal the human heart behind the headlines. An intimate story of familial love and hope in the face of overwhelming outside forces, Reinas is brought to life by an accomplished ensemble cast who imbue their characters with warmth and veracity. Visually, the film is a beautifully nostalgic evocation of its era – with a soundtrack to match – and the resulting whole is so inviting and relatable you’ll want to spend every second savouring its charms.

“A coming of age story for both child and parent, it becomes a touching account of the ties that bind and the challenges of change … An accessible, tenderly observed heartwarmer.” – Screen Daily