A twelve-year-old girl named Tui stands chest deep in a freezing-cold lake in the wilds of New Zealand, apparently toying with the idea of committing suicide. It transpires she is five months pregnant. Police detective Robin has been temporarily seconded to her home town. Since she is a specialist in investigating offences involving child abuse, the local police put her on the case. But before she can try to get to know Tui, the girl disappears without a trace. A major search begins. If Robin is to destroy the web of intrigue and machinations she must first face her own past. Meanwhile, a women’s commune sets up camp in trailers on some enchanted-looking terrain on the shores of the lake. Their leader is a mysterious woman with long, white hair.
With their six-part television series, director Jane Campion and co-director Garth Davis take televisual storytelling to new aesthetic heights. All the elements of a gripping thriller are here but, set in a magical-mystical landscape, Top of the Lake also contains an impressive roster of character studies.