It’s one thing to capture the complex dynamics of polyamory (Jules and Jim), the longueurs of a protracted adolescence (Frances Ha), or the travails of a disaffected working life. It’s quite another to pull off all of these things at once.

This is the considerable achievement of Yellow Sunglasses, the quirky and radiant new feature by Ecuadorian filmmaker Iván Mora Manzano. Julia (Paloma Pierini) is a 30-year-old philologist and writer in Quito, who feels stalled after a bad breakup. Done feeling sorry for herself, she takes fate into her own hands and almost immediately happens upon Dario (Enzo Macchiavello), a waiter and poet who will eventually lead her to Ignacio (Alejandro Fajardo), an aspiring actor. With this ménage à trois in motion, Julia remains staunchly independent. Her story interweaves a variety of other experiences: her time writing, workshopping her material, and working mediocre jobs is given as much attention as her romantic endeavours. This is Julia’s narrative, her sentimental education, and no one is going to define it but her.