Jess Pinkham

Quvenzhané Wallis plays the narrator, Hushpuppy, in "Beasts of the Southern Wild."

Ben Richardson

Through the eyes of a 6-year-old, “Beasts" shows us an entire new continent unexpectedly close to home.

Ben Richardson

Hushpuppy's dad, played by Dwight Henry, is harsh but loving and fiercely protective.

Jess Pinkham

"Beasts" takes place in 2005 -- in the days before and after Hurricane Katrina -- but also in a place beyond history.

Fox Searchlight Pictures

At the beginning of the film, Hushpuppy is just a kid. By the end, she’s a tribal elder whose knowledge seems unimaginably vast.