The unique fellowship between teens and young puffins on a remote Icelandic island

On the Icelandic archipelago of Vestmannaeyjar, teens Birta and Selma take part in a local tradition that dates back to the introduction of electricity to the region in the early 20th century. Scanning their town’s streets, the pair identify young puffins who’ve mistaken artificial light for the moonlight, and lead them to the safety of the ocean. Directed by the UK filmmaker Jessica Bishopp, this poignant coming-of-age documentary captures Birta and Selma at a pivotal moment of adolescence as they navigate their own uncertain futures. Traversing misty moors from dusk until dawn, the girls grapple with their own sense of belonging on the island and ponder what their futures hold. Set against the rugged beauty of Iceland’s coastline, Puffling meditates on the precarious nature of home for young puffins and people alike on this small, idiosyncratic slice of earth.