Time.news – A German-language film nominated for an Oscar e shot in 2019 for Netflix among the extraordinary landscapes of Villasimius, Muravera and Cagliari has raised the tourist appeal of Sardinia on the market of Germany and Austria. The vision of ‘The life we wanted’ (‘What we want’) della regista austriaca Ulrike Kofler “triggered a strong curiosity towards the locations of Sardinia, so much so that the two countries recorded a new peak up Google Trends to search for the term ‘Sardinien’, in a period that anticipates the one in which decisions are usually made for summer holidays “. Michele Casula of Ergo Research thus summarizes the results of the ‘Location Monitor’ qualitative and quantitative analysis Sardegna Film Commission Foundation entrusted to the Milanese research company.
Vote? 8 your 10
“The designation of the feature film as Austria’s nominee for the Oscar for best foreign film”, adds Casula, “has further amplified this attention. On a scale from 1 to 10, about half of the interviewees attribute a rating of more than 8 to the hypothesis of a holiday in Sardinia and 12% expressly indicate it as a possible holiday destination within two years”. From the analysis (on a non-representative sample of 200 spectators, average age of 46 in Austria and 42 in Germany) it emerges, however, that viewing the film on Netflix does not always feed a precise / direct association with the island .
© Sardegna Film Commission
The poster of the movie ‘The life we wanted’
However, in 55% of Austrian viewers the feature film aroused an ‘Oscar’ imagery, as well as in 44% of German ones. Part of the story is set in a seaside resort, chosen for a vacation by a couple in crisis who cannot have children.
What does Sardinia attract?
Among the spectators interviewed in Austria and Germany (tourist market of choice for the island) beaches and crystal clear sea are seen as the main attraction to book in Sardinia, in addition to visits to cities and villages, parks and protected areas and the possibility of practice outdoor sports such as hiking, biking and climbing. One in 5 would also fit into their island vacation visits to film and TV series locations, confirming the powerful impact they have on the tourist imaginary of the spectators.
The success of the ‘Isola di Pietro’
For Sardinia this is nothing new: with the three seasons of the Italian fiction ‘L’Isola di Pietro’, shot in Carloforte, Sardinia was one of the first territories, with the monitoring program ‘Sardinia Dreaming’ to experiment from 2018 research methods to measure the satisfaction of the locations in the perception of the public, their contribution to the success of films and TV series and also the effects on tourist flows. On Carloforte, on the island of San Pietro, in Southern Sardinia, the numbers (pre-Covid) speak for themselves: + 80% total arrivals in 2019 compared to 2015.
The first season of the fiction with Gianni Morandi was broadcast on Canale 5 in October 2017, the second and third, respectively in the autumn of 2018 and 2019. In Sardinia the increase was 22% and in Sulcis-Iglesiente 32%. In summary judgment on the locations of the ‘Isola di Pietro’ it is close to 9 out of 10, with a tourist “considerability” of the territories which has grown in Italy by 31%.
How much do the crews ‘weigh’ on the locations?
It is too early to quantify the impact of ‘The life we wanted’ on the tourist flows of Sardinia, also considering the uncertainty about travel caused by the Covid pandemic. But the production of the film, shot in 5 weeks from 30 September to 2 November 2019 with contributions from the Filming Cagliari 2019 fund of the Sardinian Film Commission, has brought good effects in the territory, also considering the 4 weeks of preparation of the sets. About forty hotel rooms were occupied, in the low season, by the film crew, in which a dozen local workers and professionals were also employed, as well as extras selected with a local casting.
© Sardegna Film Commission
A shot from the backstage of the film ‘The life we wanted’
“The shooting of the film ‘What we wanted’ (in the English translation, ed) gave us the opportunity to consolidate our relationship with Sardinia, already started in 2017 during Victor Cruz’s documentary ‘Kentannos’, which will be presented on demand on April 9th ”, he says Giovanni Pompili of Kino Produzioni, the Italian company that supported Film AG Produktion, Östtereichischer Rundfunk and Netflix in the production of the feature film, shot mainly between Cagliari and Chief Boi, a few kilometers from Villasimius (South Sardinia). “Not surprisingly, together with our Polish partners we have chosen to return to Sardinia this year, in the Alghero area, for the filming of ‘Dry Land’, our latest co-production”.
How much has the Region invested?
“Not only do film festivals and reviews help promote island works and talents, but, even before films live on the big and small screen, it is the location scouting activities that the Sardegna Film Commission Foundation promotes that attract investments in audiovisual projects in Sardinia “, he explains Gianluca Aste, president of the Foundation, “operating arm “of theTourism Department of the Sardinia Region, thanks to a three-year partnership, cost € 1 million for 2020 and financed by the Location Scouting and Co-Marketing fund.
“The growth of awareness of the value of Sardinia in the German and Austrian markets”, he comments the regional councilor for tourism, Gianni Chessa, “is confirmed by the encouraging data that tell us to study target markets also based on the tastes of the audiovisual audience. We are convinced that it is important to increase the resources to be deployed for such targeted strategic actions”.
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