The new TV series Brennero, set in South Tyrol, premiered on Monday, 16 September, and will continue for four weeks in prime time on Rai1. The series is already fully available on Raiplay, divided into eight episodes. It is a thriller inspired by events related to South Tyrolean irredentism. The plot navigates between the memories of a complex past and the challenges of coexistence in the present. The protagonists are Eva Kofler, a German-speaking deputy prosecutor played by Elena Radonicich, and Paolo Costa, a former inspector with a troubled past portrayed by Matteo Martari. Together, they must tackle the case of a serial killer known as the “Monster of Bolzano.” Their relationship reflects the historical tensions between the German-speaking and Italian communities.
Directed by Giuseppe Bonito and Davide Marengo, the series treats references to local historical events with caution and respect, aware of their sensitivity. Cinematographers Alfredo Betrò CCS (two episodes) and Emanuele Pasquet (two episodes) contributed to the project.
NOTE ON CINEMATOGRAPHY BY ALFREDO BETRÒ
in Italy, it is quite common for a director of photography to oversee an entire project; however, Brennero featured a dual direction by Davide Marengo and Giuseppe Bonito, with Emanuele Pasquet handling episodes 1 and 2 and myself overseeing episodes 3 and 4, as well as part of 1 and 2 for locations that were not ready during the first block. As usual, during the preparation phase, there was a meeting with both directors to discuss the visual aspect and the “look” of the series: a crime story set in Bolzano, in a border area, predominantly during winter. The bilingual nature of the city— partly German and partly Italian — was strongly represented. For the exteriors, the directors wanted a cold atmosphere to contrast with the warm tones of the interiors; moreover, the very nature of the story necessitated frequent use of shadowy lighting, following visual metaphors we are accustomed to in our work. In our quest for “coldness”, after various tests, we opted for a desaturated green tint rather than a bluish one, which effectively conveyed the atmosphere of the carefully chosen locations identified by set designer Ettore Guerrieri, with whom we constantly consulted, as well as with costume designer Patrizia Mazzon.
For filming, we chose the RED Gemini and after some tests selected a series of ARRI/Zeiss Master Primes lenses, whose characteristics seemed optimal for the images we wanted to achieve. The camera equipment, as well as the crew of grips and electricians, was provided by R.E.C. Rental Equipment Cine TV, managed by Giuseppe Avenia, Alessandro Gallo, and Massimo La Sala. Chief Electricians included Francesco Buonocore, Vito Brunetti, and Francesco Colangeli. Chief Grips were Luca Pagliara, Antonio Ascione, and Enrico Quacquarini. DITs were Rosario Ferrisi and Amos Ayrton Maccanti. Camera Operators were Alessandro Gentili and Valerio Brescini; assistants included Francesco Begna, Giulia Fosca Violetta Borelli, Federico Rossi, and Matteo Zampagni. The colourist who worked with us was Paolo Verrucci from Reel One.
