Mouchette (1966)

Adapted (like Diary of a Country Priest) from a Georges Bernanos novel, Mouchette chronicles 24 hours in the life of a girl in her early teens, neglected and abused by family, teachers, schoolmates and others in her impoverished rural village. Understandably, the surly protagonist barely smiles, but Robert Bresson’s compassionate treatment of her predicament ensures that her progress – not least at a fairground – becomes profoundly affecting.