When a young girl is brutally raped and murdered in a quiet French village, a police detective starts investigating the crime, which turns the whole community upside-down. The detective, a humble man burdened with the wrongdoing of others, slowly divulges his despair and the dread of his own guilt.

Bruno Dumont, last seen with Jeannette, jumped to the forefront of a new, transgressive breed of French filmmakers with this enigmatic detective drama. It captivated the Cannes jury: the film won Best Actor, Best Actress, and the Grand Prix.