One of the finest Italian debut features of recent years, Andrea Molaioli’s tense murder mystery has a powerful central performance from Toni Servillo (The Consequences of Love, Il Divo). Based on the 2002 Norwegian novel Don’t Look Back by Karin Fossum, the story unfolds amidst the rugged beauty of the Italian Dolomites, where the inhabitants of a peaceful town are shocked by the murder of a beautiful young woman whose naked body is found on the shore of a lake. There are no signs of struggle or sexual assault but also no shortage of potential suspects, including the dead girl’s boyfriend and father.

Inspector Giovanni Sanzio (Servillo) is sent to investigate the murder, but as he digs deeper into the girl’s life and death he uncovers more questions than answers. A subtle, absorbing tale handled with supreme confidence, The Girl by the Lake swept the Italian Oscars by winning ten awards, including Best Film and Best Director for Molaioli.