Lukas has won. As soon as the fight is over, his family welcomes him. His wife, Ernesta, can’t hide her tears or relief, their son, however, doesn’t show much in the way of concern. When Lukas joins his sister-in-law Juste’s family to celebrate her husband Tomas’ birthday, subtle parallels and a quiet rivalry emerge between the two families. At the lake house, the vacationers enjoy leisure, discuss money and mow the lawn. This idyllic scene is soon interrupted by an accident that changes both families’ lives forever.

The paradox, especially the notion of “drowning” in the title, is just one aspect of the gradually unfolding mystery. Internationally acclaimed Lithuanian director Bareiša, who won the Best Film award for Pilgrims (2021) at the Orizzonti Competition of the Venice Film Festival, delves deeper into the complexities of the family model. Produced by the Latvian studio Trickster Pictures, the winner of two awards in the main competition at Locarno visually resembles a sun-drenched horror film about a prophecy in an ordinary family. The subtle, quiet nature of the camera work (with Bareiša himself behind it) reveals that loss and victory are inseparable. This epiphany sends ripples across the mirror-like surface of the water.

Jury statement: An intriguing and suspenseful drama with credible characters and a subtle eye for contemporary society.