The water in the lake is never sweet

On the shore of the ancient Italian Lake Bracciano, where it smells of silt and wet feathers, the Colombo family settles. Young woman Antonia takes care of her four children and her disabled husband all by herself. The eternal struggle against the imperfections of the world makes her proud and uncompromising. She raises her only daughter Gaia with strictness and teaches her to only rely on herself.
The little red-haired girl turns out to be very capable. She learns to be strong, not to complain, to read books, to dive into the lake even if the current pulls her to the bottom, to hide her phone from her mother in a shoebox, and her despair where no one will ever find it.
"The water in the lake is never sweet" is a complex family drama where, as in life, there is still room for glimpses of happiness.