L’illusione del vuoto

In a fog-shrouded Mantua of secrets and silences, an elegant yet enigmatic Deputy Chief, haunted by an old, unshakable guilt, is drawn into a complex murder case that forces him out of his chosen isolation and away from the edge of self-destruction.

An elegant and enigmatic man, Deputy Chief Michele Canfora is on the verge of self-destruction. Haunted by an old sense of guilt, he drifts through life with the desire to disappear, clinging only to routine: a meal at his usual tavern, coffee at BarRocco, and the books of Leda’s newsstand, as he blends into the quiet streets of Mantua.

The discovery of a corpse in a barrel in the countryside abruptly interrupts this downward spiral, and shatters the community. Michele is dragged into an investigation he would rather avoid. Around him move Elias Tempofosco, an impulsive young rookie who admires him, Cartone, a homeless informant who sees everything and trusts no one., and the imminent retirement of agent Bolgioni, the only person Canfora feels connected to.

As Canfora investigates, he realizes that the deeper the mystery grows, the further he drifts from his desire for self-destruction. Yet the number of real suspects – against whom there is solid evidence – is painfully small and, in the end, the more Canfora opens up, the more difficult it becomes to understand who is innocent and who is not.