Though by no means prolific, Lynne Ramsay has made a significant contribution to British film over the course of her 20-year career, delivering hard-hitting dramas such as Morvern Callar, We Need to Talk About Kevin and You Were Never Really Here. Three years before the release of her gritty debut feature, Ratcatcher, the Glasgow-born writer/director announced herself as an exciting new voice with this 1996 graduation project, which won her the Jury Prize for Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival. Blending evocative images with a sparse, naturalistic sound design and just a hint of magical realism, Small Deaths offers a melancholy three-part snapshot of a young girl’s life, with Ramsay’s own niece playing the part of Anne Marie in the first chapter.

• Adam Woodward