I have been trying to remember the name of a film I saw in the early 1990s. It was probably Italian but may have been French. It was about a young police officer who must transport a brother and sister somewhere. The young girl may have been prostituted by her mother and was removed from her custody. I think "Lost" (in translation) was in the title somewhere. I vaguely remember the officer taking them to the ocean. Anyone remember this?

I finally discovered the film when I realized it wasn't Lost in the title but Stolen. This movie is "Il Ladro di bambini" or "The Stolen Children" from 1992.

The IMDB summary says:
Antonio, a policeman (carabiniere), has an order to take two children (Rosetta and her brother Luciano) from Milan to Sicily to an orphanage. Their mother has been arrested for forcing Rosetta (11 years old) to work as a prostitute. First the relation between Antonio and the children is tough, but it relaxes so they become temporary friends.

Dawn

Thank you for providing the name of this film. I think about it every once in a while as an excellent example of how a film can do what a great short story does — to create an unforgettable story with a few telling details. But I could never remember the name of the film either. I recently googled a few key words to see if I could find it and this site immediately came up. Thanks again.