Scripted

Inspired by a real and intriguing historical event (The Night of the Fires in 1961, when Tyrolean terrorists launched a series of attacks to push for the reunification of South Tyrol), Brennero is a new four-part TV series directed by Davide Marengo and Giuseppe Bonito. The series premiered on Monday, September 16, in prime time on Rai 1 wint 2.8mln viewers and is also available on RaiPlay. It is a co-production between Rai Fiction and Cross Productions, with the support of IDM-Film Commission Südtirol.

The story is set in modern-day Italy, in the city of Bolzano. However, newcomers often feel like they've arrived in Germany. Street signs are in German, and some people don't understand Italian when asked for directions. In fact, passing a German language exam is required to hold public office. The city’s residents are divided: on one side, the Germans—precise, disciplined, and affluent; on the other, the Italians—loud, warm, and lively. In this context, a public prosecutor from a wealthy German-speaking family and a rough-edged Italian-speaking detective are forced to work together on a serial killer case.

The discovery of a body forces Eva Kofler, a young, ambitious German-speaking prosecutor played by Elena Radonicich, to collaborate with Paolo Costa, a detective of Italian origin portrayed by Matteo Martari. Initially, both characters seem to embody stereotypes of their cultures: she is cold, rational, and strict, while he is charming, brash, and impulsive. But as they overcome their initial mistrust and start working as a team, Eva and Paolo pursue the ruthless killer, who has resurfaced after years, reopening old wounds and cultural tensions that have plagued Bolzano for decades.

As the investigation unfolds, Eva and Paolo discover they are not who they thought they were, forming a solid investigative duo while hunting down the "Monster of Bolzano," a merciless serial killer responsible for six murders. All of his victims were German speakers, whom he believed had treated Italians as inferior.

Three years earlier, while attempting to capture the Monster, Paolo lost his right leg and his partner and colleague, Giovanna. For him, catching the Monster—something that Eva's father, the brilliant chief prosecutor Gerhard Kofler, had failed to do—has become a personal obsession.

Eva, too, has her own obsession, though unrelated to the case: it revolves around Mathilde, a young painter to whom she is deeply attached.

Together, Eva and Paolo will confront the dangerous case of the Monster (played by Paolo Briguglia), overcoming their respective obsessions and healing wounds that once seemed impossible to mend.