His films like 'Nobody Knows' and 'Shoplifters' intimately explore the emotional landscapes of abandoned children and makeshift family structures with profound tenderness.

Through works like 'Kes' and 'I, Daniel Blake,' he documents how systemic neglect and abandonment shape vulnerable children's survival and resilience.

Her films 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' and 'You Were Never Really Here' dissect psychological trauma and emotional abandonment with visceral, fragmented storytelling.