(Cert PG, 109 mins)

Adapted from Peter Rock’s novel My Abandonment, Leave No Trace is a restrained yet profoundly moving portrait of the indomitable spirit that binds backwoods communities in the face of poverty and bureaucratic meddling.

The film is shot through the inquisitive eyes of a teenage girl who has been homeschooled since birth by her fiercely protective father, and has never been allowed to integrate with other children.

Leave No Trace explores bonds between troubled parents and resourceful children living on the fringes of society, and the harsh sacrifices that are sometimes made in the name of love.

Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie beautifully conveys her character’s fierce loyalty to her father and the pent-up grief and confusion that ultimately sets her free on the path to womanhood.

She plays Tom, who has learnt to live off the land and avoid detection thanks to her old man Will (Foster).

Occasionally, father and daughter traipse into town to collect Will’s prescribed medication for his post-traumatic stress disorder, which the war veteran then sells to pay for the essentials.

A jogger catches a glimpse of Tom in the undergrowth and authorities storm the forest with sniffer dogs. Jean (Dana Millican), a social worker, relocates the pair to a farm as it is illegal to live on public land. Will fells trees and Tom experiences the first pangs of hormone-addled curiosity about a boy.

However, the personal demons that drove Will into the wilderness beckon him to return. Leave No Trace is a deeply affecting meditation on unconventional parenting, which leaves an indelible mark on the heart and provokes animated debate about whether Will’s rejection of suburban comforts is ultimately in his child’s best interests.

Granik’s picture lacks an emotional crescendo or anything that comes close to narrative thrust.

The tormented characters don’t know where they are going, but there is both beauty and heart-breaking simplicity in the gentle ebb and flow of their odyssey.

DS