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The Girl by the Lake (2007) movie poster

Plot Summary

The Girl by the Lake (2007) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2007 · 95 mins · Italian
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Directed by
Andrea Molaioli
Starring
Anna Bonaiuto, Toni Servillo, Valeria Golino, Nello Mascia, Fabrizio Gifuni, Franco Ravera

A cop investigates the murder of a beautiful teen girl left naked by a lake.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like The Girl by the Lake
  6. 6 Every angle
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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in The Girl by the Lake: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of The Girl by the Lake (2007) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Marta, Nicole Perrone, is a young girl who accepts a ride from a disabled man, Mario Franco Ravera, and spends several hours with him and his father, Omero Antonutti, before returning home. When she is reported missing by her family, the local police are brought in to help search for her, and the case quickly draws in a broader circle of the community.

Mario returns Marta home safely, but the pair report that they found the body of a young girl by the lake. This discovery sets off a murder investigation that pulls in the entire village, a tight-knit and isolated place where everyone knows each other, and where the killer is presumed to have grown up among them. The investigation unfolds with a careful, methodical approach as investigators question those who were close to the victims and those with potential motives.

The case quickly shifts into high gear as Commissario Sanzio Toni Servillo and ispettore Lorenzo Siboldi Fausto Maria Sciarappa begin tilting their attention toward the victims’ world: a young high school hockey player, Anna, is found dead and naked on the banks of Lake Fusine near Tarvisio in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The shocking discovery rocks a small community and compels investigators to read every clue in the context of personal histories and long-held grievances. The investigation becomes a town-wide effort, with neighbors and relatives drawn into the scrutiny as the police peel back layers of secrecy and fear.

Initial leads point toward Anna's boyfriend, Denis Fasolo, and toward her hockey coach, a figure with a troubling past who had prior convictions for sexual assault. The backpack Anna had worn on the morning of her death turns up in Roberto’s possession, complicating the narrative and forcing the detectives to reassess what they thought they knew. The more the police dig, the more it becomes clear that nothing is straightforward, and the truth may lie in a difficult intertwining of tragedy, loyalties, and unspoken guilt.

The village and its people become central to the mystery, a place where the line between innocent and guilty is blurred by shared histories and the weight of past events. The investigation delves into painful memories, revealing how a single decision or moment can ripple through families and forever alter the lives of those left behind.

Eight months earlier, Anna had begun to withdraw after being diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor. Around the same period, Angelo, the child Anna babysat, died from choking while under the care of his father, Corrado Canali Fabrizio Gifuni. These intertwined timelines haunt the case and color the officers’ understanding of motive and opportunity, casting a long shadow over every suspect’s alibi and every confession that surfaces.

Ultimately, the truth comes into sharp focus: Corrado Canali murdered Anna, a crime born from a deep-seated grievance over Angelo’s death and the way that tragedy had shaped Anna’s life. The revelation closes a painful circle that began with a chance encounter and spiraled into a village-wide injustice, leaving the investigators to reckon with the quiet costs of a crime that shook a community to its core.

Last updated: February 20, 2026 at 12:15

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Plot questions answered

The Girl by the Lake Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about The Girl by the Lake (2007): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why did Corrado kill Anna?

Corrado murdered Anna because he blamed her for the death of his son Angelo, who choking while under Anna's care as a babysitter. Unable to cope with his grief and guilt over losing his child, Corrado believed Anna was responsible for the tragedy and sought revenge by killing her. The murder occurred eight months after Angelo's death, when Anna herself was already suffering from an incurable brain tumor.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, investigators reveal that Angelo died from choking while Anna was babysitting him, planting the seeds of Corrado's motive.

  • corrado
  • anna murder
  • angelo death
  • babysitter
  • motive
  • revenge
Q2

Why did the police initially focus on Anna's boyfriend and hockey coach?

The police investigated Anna's boyfriend Roberto and her hockey coach as initial suspects because they were close to Anna and had potential motives. The coach had a troubling past with prior convictions for sexual assault, making him a logical suspect in a violent crime against a young woman. Roberto, as her boyfriend, was questioned about their relationship and any possible conflicts that might have led to her death.

Foreshadowing: The investigation begins by examining those closest to Anna, with the coach's criminal record and Roberto's proximity providing immediate leads.

  • initial suspects
  • coach
  • boyfriend
  • investigation
  • police
Q3

What was Anna's illness and why is it relevant to the case?

Anna had been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor approximately eight months before her death. This illness explained why she had recently withdrawn from her usual activities, including quitting her hockey team. The diagnosis added emotional complexity to the case, as investigators had to consider how her terminal condition might relate to the murder and the timing of the crime.

Foreshadowing: Investigators note Anna's recent withdrawal and changes in behavior, which they initially attribute to personal issues before discovering the terminal diagnosis.

  • brain tumor
  • illness
  • diagnosis
  • withdrawal
  • terminal
Q4

How did Marta and Mario discover Anna's body?

After Mario gave Marta a ride to his home where she spent several hours with him and his father Antonutti, they were returning to the village together when they came upon Anna's naked body on the banks of Lake Fusine. Their discovery triggered the full murder investigation, shifting police attention from Marta's disappearance to a homicide case.

Foreshadowing: Marta's initial disappearance brought police into the village, setting the stage for the body discovery that would reveal the murder.

  • lake fusine
  • body discovery
  • marta
  • mario
  • naked body
Q5

Why did investigators suspect Corrado?

Investigators began viewing Corrado as a suspect when they connected two timelines: Angelo's death occurred eight months earlier while Anna was babysitting, and Anna had recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness around the same time. Corrado's personal loss and the circumstances surrounding Angelo's death provided a clear motive rooted in grief and blame. As the investigation deepened, the evidence pointed toward a crime of revenge rather than random violence.

Foreshadowing: The timeline linking Angelo's death to Anna's illness created the psychological backdrop that made Corrado's motive plausible.

  • corrado
  • suspect
  • motive
  • guilt
  • grief
  • blame
Q6

What was the significance of Anna's backpack being found in Roberto's possession?

Anna's backpack, which she had been wearing on the morning of her death, was found in Roberto's possession. This discovery complicated the investigation and forced detectives to reassess their understanding of the case, as it suggested a potential connection between Anna's boyfriend and the crime that had not been immediately apparent.

Foreshadowing: The backpack's discovery created a new puzzle piece that initially pointed toward Roberto, before the investigation revealed the true circumstances.

  • backpack
  • roberto
  • evidence
  • possession
Q7

Why does the isolated village setting matter to the story?

The small village near Tarvisio is a tight-knit, isolated community where everyone knows each other. This setting is crucial because the killer is presumed to have grown up among them, making the investigation particularly sensitive. The close relationships and shared histories create an atmosphere where secrets are kept, loyalties are tested, and the truth becomes harder to uncover when everyone has some connection to the victims.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that this is a community where nothing stays hidden, yet the killer manages to hide in plain sight.

  • village
  • community
  • isolation
  • secrets
  • investigation
Q8

How did Angelo die and what was Anna's connection to him?

Angelo was the young son of Corrado Canali. He died from choking while under Anna's care as a babysitter. This tragedy occurred approximately eight months before Anna's murder and became the foundation of Corrado's motive. Anna had been babysitting Angelo when the fatal incident happened, and Corrado never forgave her for what he perceived as her responsibility in his son's death.

Foreshadowing: The circumstances of Angelo's death are revealed gradually, with investigators piecing together how this tragedy set Corrado on his path to murder.

  • angelo
  • choking
  • babysitter
  • corrado
  • death
Q9

How does the investigation conclude?

The investigation concludes with the revelation that Corrado Canali murdered Anna as an act of revenge for his son Angelo's death. The truth emerges that Corrado harbored deep-seated grievance over Angelo's death and the way that tragedy had shaped Anna's life in the months that followed. With Corrado identified as the killer, the case closes, leaving the village to reckon with the devastating realization that the murder stemmed from a grief-fueled vendetta within their own community.

Foreshadowing: The film gradually builds toward this revelation by connecting Angelo's death to Corrado's growing obsession with Anna.

  • confession
  • killer revealed
  • motive
  • conclusion
  • truth
Q10

Why was Marta initially reported missing?

Marta, a young girl, was reported missing by her family after she accepted a ride from a disabled man named Mario. She spent several hours with Mario and his father at their home before returning. Her disappearance triggered the initial police response in the village, which ultimately led to the discovery of Anna's body and transformed the case from a missing person search to a murder investigation.

Foreshadowing: Marta's disappearance mobilizes the local authorities and brings Commissario Sanzio into the case, establishing the investigative framework.

  • marta
  • missing
  • disappearance
  • mario

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Girl by the Lake, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Girl by the Lake tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Moody Small-Town Noir movies like The Girl by the Lake

Murder reveals the dark underbelly of a seemingly quiet community. Discover films similar to The Girl by the Lake, where a murder investigation peels back the layers of grief and hidden sins in a small, oppressive community. If you liked the melancholic atmosphere and the focus on collective trauma, these dark mystery thrillers are for you.

  • oppressive
  • somber
  • suspenseful
  • gloomy
  • melancholic
  • small town
  • Tone: dark, melancholic, oppressive
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically follows an investigator, often an outsider or a local cop, who methodically pieces together a crime. This process acts as a catalyst, forcing characters to confront buried tragedies—from past deaths to family secrets—that have shaped the town's toxic atmosphere. The mystery's resolution often brings sorrow rather than justice, leaving the community forever changed.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared mood of melancholic suspense and their setting as a character itself. They explore how a single event can unravel the fragile social fabric of a closed community, prioritizing emotional resonance and atmospheric dread over action-packed thrills.

Thrillers about grief and trauma like The Girl by the Lake

An investigation becomes a journey through layers of personal and collective trauma. Looking for movies similar to The Girl by the Lake? This list features psychological thrillers and mysteries where the investigation uncovers deep-seated trauma and unresolved grief. If you appreciated the heavy emotional weight and the focus on psychological damage, explore these recommendations.

  • tense
  • somber
  • psychological
  • grief
  • trauma
  • heavy
  • Tone: somber, tense, heavy
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread follow a linear investigation that methodically digs into the past. The plot structure is often straightforward, but its emotional complexity grows as flashbacks and character revelations expose interconnected tragedies. The climax typically reveals a truth that is psychologically devastating, offering little catharsis and emphasizing the lingering pain of the characters.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their primary focus on the psychological aftermath of tragedy. They share a heavy emotional weight, a steady, deliberate pacing that allows the dread to build, and a conclusion that feels sad or bleak, prioritizing the exploration of trauma over a neat, satisfying resolution.

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Every angle

The Girl by the Lake (2007) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Girl by the Lake in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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