A peculiar atmosphere pervades the forest near the location Caprile (municipality of Tesimo) – hovering between mystique and the bustle of a brightly lit film set in the middle of the night. With over 30 shooting days between April and May, the mystery-thriller “Wolf” (working title) by South Tyrolean filmmaker Nancy Camaldo is being made here.
The drama moves between myth and reality. Director and screenwriter Nancy Camaldo, originally from the South Tyrolean town of Chiusa and a graduate of the Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen (HFF) in Munich, is realizing her second feature film here, supported once again by the IDM Film & Music Commission, as with her debut “Windstill.”
In the fictional story, the owner of a wildlife park, Tilda, has her animals attacked by a wolf. When her white stag is killed, she swears revenge. Together with her brother Eddi, she fights to protect the inheritance of their deceased mother. A physical and inner metamorphosis of the protagonist begins – a journey between human and animal. “Wolf” is a genre film with horror elements. “I address a topical issue – the return of the wolf – in a cinematic and artistic way, without judging what is right or wrong. Different perspectives emerge and develop over the course of the story,” the director explains. Her South Tyrolean roots served as inspiration; the landscape provides a fitting backdrop. Nancy Camaldo has involved many people from her hometown, Chiusa.
Shooting takes place in many locations, among others: at the Rainguthof in Caprile and in the villages of Tesimo and Magrè, on complex sets, often at night. These places require special demands on actors and crew, for example, in terms of technical equipment and lighting.
Dialect as a distinctive film language
The cast of the film consists of experienced performers: Mercedes Müller (lead), Felix Krasser, and Victoria Trauttmansdorff. Inclusion is a particular concern for the team: South Tyrolean actor Felix Grünbacher, who has Down syndrome, plays an important role.
Another important aspect is language: South Tyrolean actor and dialect coach Günther Götsch developed a fictional dialect and taught it to the performers. “The language is based on the South Tyrolean dialect but must remain understandable to film audiences,” Nancy Camaldo says.
Production and location support
Sisters Natalie and Sandra Hölzel, with their Munich production company Elfenholz Film, in partnership with Albolina Film from Bolzano, have taken on production. On set, managing director Wilfried Gufler supports the local implementation with his regional know-how.
The producers praise the favorable conditions in South Tyrol: “The region is very manageable, and we find competence and commitment locally. The landscape offers an impressive variety: mountains, forests, lakes.” They cite Martin Piazzi and his family from the Rainguthof as an example: “They are great partners and provide an excellent film set. They help us in every way – one of the best experiences we’ve had.”
56 crew professionals of the feature film “Wolf” come from South Tyrol – among them, for example, location managers Debora Scaperrotta and Petra Tschenett, and in the camera department Marino Fiore and Michele Lezza. Several locals are also involved in set dressing, from set‑design assistant Michele Bocchin to dresser Tessa Battisti, to props master Michael Gamper, and set builders Peter Vällming and Dietmar Deutsch. Local presence is also visible in the costume department with Cinzia Cioffi and Chiara Bocci, and in the stunt coordination, which includes Jakob Watschinger and Martina Resch, among others. But the list doesn’t stop there: from direction to production, from SFX coordination to catering, the set involves a wide range of South Tyrolean film professionals.