The Veil

Giving us a look behind the walls of a small convent in Venice, The Veil is a touching portrait of women with a calling. This is a lovely little picture of a community that might be perceived as isolated or self-contained - their anticipation of fireworks, and the anticipation of a mission to China bely that. There's no small measure of humour, and several touching moments as the sisters go about their business. Indeed, the familial nature of the convent is evident.

The film is just long enough to give us a sense of the routines, brief enough to show us how these women live without feeling intrusive, and though obviously intimately bound up with the business of religion, quiet about it. Mattia Colombo's film is well-judged and as pleasant as a sunny afternoon in the garden.