Unknown Male no. 1

A true-crime documentary mini-series had all Italy talking. “Unknown Male Number 1” (“Ignoto 1”) tells the story of the most high profile and unbelievable murder investigation in recent Italian history, resulting from the tragic and brutal slaying of 13-year old Yara Gambiarasio near her home in northern Italy in 2010. Recounted through the intimate testimony of the tenacious and emotionally-invested lead prosecutor, Letizia Ruggeri, the series gives audiences unfettered access to one of the most complicated forensic investigations ever undertaken, anywhere. And, following the 2014 arrest of a local builder, Massimo Bossetti, for Yara’s murder, the series follows his defence through a year-long trial, embedding with his lawyers and asking whether the central DNA evidence really stands up to scrutiny. With a sensitive and cinematic approach to its subject matter, “Unknown Male Number 1” is both a thrilling account of a remarkable criminal investigation and a tender portrait of life, death and justice in present day Italy.