The Secret of Roan Inish

This Irish fable, from a novel by Rosalie K Fry, may be pretty atypical of John Sayles' work, but it's still a lovely movie. Set in a remote Irish fishing community in the '40s, it charts the experiences of a young girl who comes to stay with her grandparents and is intrigued by the mysterious, seemingly fantastic stories of an infant relative's death. Tales within tales, a subtle sense of economic and social realities, fine landscape photography and strong performances make for an engrossing, unusual fantasy.