The Unknown Woman

Plot

Irena (Kseniya Rappoport), a Ukrainian prostitute on the run, is determined to find a job in an elegant apartment building in northern Italy, and starts by cleaning the stairs. She does it in order to inch her way into working for a family residing in that building. She befriends Gina (Piera Degli Esposti), the nanny of the family's child, Thea (Clara Dossena), who also lives with them in their apartment. When the nanny is crippled in a fall—tripped by Irena—but presumed to be accidental, Irena is hired to take her place. Through flashbacks, viewers learn that Irena has been physically and emotionally abused, and forced to bear nine children, all taken away at birth to be sold to adoptive families. After stabbing her pimp and leaving him for dead, she sets out to find her youngest child, whom she believes is Thea; hence the plot to work for them. Adoption documents in the apartment convince her that Thea is indeed her daughter. The mother grows suspicious of Irena and fires her, despite the loving relationship that has grown up between Irena and the child. Irena's pimp stalks her and sends out thugs to beat her up as she walks down the street. He rigs her employer's car, leading to a crash in which Thea's mother is killed. The pimp forces Irena to drive him to a location that may or may not contain the money Irena stole from him when she left him for dead. During a struggle, he falls and is killed as his head hits a rock. Thea's father moves to a new apartment and prepares a room for Irena, but as the police suspect foul play around the death of Thea's mother, Irena is taken into custody. She reveals both that the true culprit is the pimp and that she killed him. She is tried, and sent to jail. Thea stops eating until the judge allows Irena to visit her in the hospital and feed her. DNA testing reveals that Thea is not her daughter after all. After she is out of jail, she finds Thea, a young lady now waiting for her.

Cast

Kseniya Rappoport as Irena (as Ksenia Rappoport)

Michele Placido as Muffa

Claudia Gerini as Valeria Adacher

Piera Degli Esposti as Gina

Alessandro Haber as Matteo

Clara Dossena as Thea Adacher

Ángela Molina as Lucrezia (as Angela Molina)

Margherita Buy as Irena's lawyer

Pierfrancesco Favino as Donato Adacher

Paolo Elmo as Nello, Irena's lover

Nicola Di Pinto as Judge

Awards and nominations

David di Donatello (Italy)

Won: Best Actress – Leading Role (Kseniya Rappoport)

Won: Best Cinematography (Fabio Zamarion)

Won: Best Director (Giuseppe Tornatore)

Won: Best Film

Won: Best Music (Ennio Morricone)

Nominated: Best Actor – Leading Role (Michele Placido)

Nominated: Best Costume Design (Nicoletta Ercole)

Nominated: Best Editing (Massimo Quaglia)

Nominated: Best Producer

Nominated: Best Production Design (Tonino Zera)

Nominated: Best Screenplay (Francesco Tornatore)

Nominated: Best Sound (Gilberto Martinelli)

European Film Awards

Won: Audience Award – Best Film (Giuseppe Tornatore)

Nominated: Best Actress – Leading Role (Kseniya Rappoport)

Nominated: Best Cinematographer (Fabio Zamarion)

Nominated: Best Director (Giuseppe Tornatore)

Moscow Film Festival (Russia)

Won: Audience Award (Giuseppe Tornatore; tied with Molière)

Won: Silver St. George – Best Director (Giuseppe Tornatore)

Nominated: Golden St. George (Giuseppe Tornatore)

Norwegian Film Festival (Norway)

Won: Audience Award (Giuseppe Tornatore)