SYNOPSIS:

Michael (an impoverished, talented artist) sells a forgery of an Impressionist painting to Besnik (an organised crime gang leader) who is being investigated over an imminent drugs deal by Maria (a career-focused undercover police officer). Besnik attempts to rape Maria and she violently defends herself. Maria is thrown off the case and seconded to the Arts and Antiques Squad to assist Oliver (an obsessive researcher for the Looted Art Commission) who researches the provenance of the real Impressionist painting being held at an Auction House. Ana Maria (Maria’s grandmother) moves house and gives Maria some sketches of an Impressionist and Old Master she kept from a love affair with David (Michael’s grandfather) in Lisbon during the Second World War. David had to identify his own family’s looted paintings being escorted by Matthias (Oliver’s grandfather); including the Impressionist which was sold in Portugal because it was ’degenerate’ and the Old Master which was shipped to South America. Besnik discovers he has bought a forgery and uses Michael’s debt to him by using him to authenticate the Old Master, stolen in South America and now used as collateral in the drugs deal which has escaped the police operation. Maria shows her grandmother’s sketches to Oliver who recognises them from his research and the Old Master one from a study he saw Michael doing. They find Michael and David - Oliver learns about and is reconciled to his grandfather’s past and Maria finds out where the drugs deal is being completed and arrests Besnik. The paintings are restituted to Michael and David.