A woman mysteriously disappears on a yachting trip. While her lover and her best friend search for her across Italy, they begin an affair. Antonioni's penetrating study of the idle upper class offers stinging observations on spiritual isolation and the many meanings of love. Initially greeted with jeers and confusion, L'Avventura was then awarded a Cannes Special Jury Prize "for the beauty of its images, and for seeking to create a new film language." It is now established as a landmark work of modern cinema and has become one of the most influential films ever made.