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by Arash T. Riahi and Arman T. Riahi
grade: 7
Dark atmospheres, bleak landscapes and interpersonal relationships full of burning secrets are the absolute protagonists in Dunkle Wasser. The Riahi brothers, for their part, have mastered an impeccable and multifaceted screenplay, the highlight of which is the two detectives. At the Diagonale’23.
Past returns
Every year at the Diagonale, there is no lack of premieres of films from the ORF Landkrimi series. And so, on the occasion of this Diagonale’23, no less than two films from the series arrived in cinemas, again directed by directors who have had and continue to have particular success both in Austria and abroad. And so, for this occasion, the prolific directors and producers Arash and Arman T. Riahi were entrusted with the direction of Dunkle Wasser, a detective story full of twists and turns, set in the Salzburg region.
Dunkle Wasser opens with the discovery, in the Mattsee lake, of the body of a young woman. It is Elena, a seventeen-year-old girl. Detective Dorner (played by Christoph Luser) is assigned to investigate the case and is joined on the occasion by young inspector Alex Fink (Salka Weber). He, however, is almost personally involved in the case, since Elena was the daughter of one of his ex-girlfriends. As the investigation progresses, moreover, there will be no lack of sudden twists and turns and shocking discoveries that will shed light on much more sinister and disturbing realities than might initially seem.
Dark atmospheres, bleak landscapes and interpersonal relationships full of burning secrets are therefore the absolute protagonists in Dunkle Wasser. The Riahi brothers, for their part, have well managed an impeccable and multifaceted screenplay, the jewel in the crown of which are the two detectives. Dorner and Fink, in fact, are practically two antithetical characters: the former is gruff, taciturn, has important secrets to hide and in the past has even risked losing the trust of his bosses. Fink, on the other hand, is young and determined. Besides investigating Elena’s murder, she keeps a constant eye on her boss, who inevitably ends up among the main suspects. In Dunkle Wasser, therefore, the two directors have often focused precisely on Fink’s point of view (particularly interesting, in this respect, is the choice of making us listen to the music she herself listens to through headphones, so that it acts as a soundtrack to the scenes being filmed).
Fink is the only character who has practically nothing to hide. The only character who can determine what is right and what is wrong. Even when important crimes from the past come to light. Otherwise, no one is really innocent in Dunkle Wasser. A meticulous direction without any particular virtuosity was able to render the atmosphere of the place well, fully conveying the idea of a world in which no one can be trusted, in which the past is never dead, but in which, at the same time, it is (almost) never too late to redeem oneself.
Original title: Dunkle Wasser
Directed by: Arash T. Riahi, Arman T. Riahi
Country/year: Austria / 2022
Running time: 90’
Genre: mistery
Cast: Christoph Luser, Salka Weber, Anna Tenta, Fritz Karl, Peter Mitterrutzner, Erwin Steinhauer, Emilia Leytner, Nikolaus Lessky, Susanne Michel, Thomas Mraz
Screenplay: Ralph Werner, Arman T. Riahi, Arash T. Riahi
Cinematography: Anna Hawliczek
Produced by: Gebhardt Productions GmbH, ORF, ZDF