The Beast in the Heart (Yüreğimdeki Canavar)

In La bestia nel cuore (The Beast in the Heart), Sabina's life seems perfectly in order: a successful career, a steady relationship and friends she loves. Yet the nightmares that keep her from sleeping at night slowly begin to unsettle that seemingly untroubled existence. Memories of her family, which she has long tried to bury, refuse to fade from her mind; as a child she was sexually abused by her father, something she has never spoken about to anyone. Unable to shake off the weight of the past, she decides to visit her brother, who lives in America, and finally confront what happened.

Directed by Cristina Comencini, who adapted the screenplay from her own novel, this 2005 Italian-French drama stars Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Alessio Boni, Stefania Rocca and Angela Finocchiaro. The film premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival, where it contended for the Golden Lion, and went on to represent Italy as a nominee for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.