Tricks, written and directed by Andrzej Jakimowski, is set in a crumbling Polish town. It is the story of Stefek, an adorable but dirty boy whose sister Elka is his hero. Elka teaches him that bargains and sacrifices can trick fortune, which works to help a stranger sell apples, but will it help Stefek manipulate the commuter who, he is convinced, is his absent father? The acknowledgement of the existence of magic in everyday life is charming, and the film is subtle and affecting in its portrayal of the siblings.

To read more of Kris’s reviews from the 2008 Vancouver International Film Festival visit her Geist blog at geist.com/blog/kris.