This project emerged from the convergence of two directorial approaches: one inspired more by documentary filmmaking, the other more by fiction. Our investigation into the impact of the wolf’s return to the Alps led us to Forno, one of the few Alpine villages still resisting depopulation. Filming took place over a three-year period, during which we gradually got to know the community, its rhythms, and its customs. Rather than positioning ourselves as outside commentators, we sought to build a relationship and let the daily reality of the residents guide our perspective, without imposing any preconceived judgments.

The return of the wolf to the Alps is a complex issue, often framed in political or ideological terms. Our intention was not to take a stance in this debate, but to focus on the concrete effects on those who live in direct contact with the mountains. By observing how tradition, faith, and modernity intertwine, we aim to shed light on how mountain communities cope with a rapidly changing environment.

Pestiferus Lupus aspires to be both a testimony and an investigation: a portrait of a community straddling the boundary between past and future, and an exploration of how an archetypal fear, born of individual experience, becomes a collective sentiment.

Luca Jankovic, Ludovico Serra