Filming of "La linea della palma" begins in Ticino

After the first phase of filming in Sicily, La linea della palma, the new original series by the Swiss Italian-language broadcaster RSI, officially began filming in Ticino on April 28th. The production will take place in the Lugano region and will continue uninterrupted until July 11th, for a total of 55 shooting days.

The series, RSI announces, will move through some of the most iconic and recognizable places in the region: from the greenery of Parco Ciani and Parco di Villa Heleneum to the elegance of the Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola, passing by the shores of the Lido di Lugano and the structures of the Airport and the Sailing Club. Key scenes will also be shot at the Melide dam bridge, at Rivetta Tell, and inside the Viganello middle school. There will also be incursions into the urban heart of Lugano, with filming along central streets such as Via Pretorio, Via Trevano, Via Canova, Via Buffi, Via Riva Caccia, Via Ciani, and Corso Pestalozzi, near Piazza Riforma, including the spaces of the building that once housed Credit Suisse.

Inspired by true events, La linea della palma, directed by the filmmaker from Ticino, Fulvio Bernasconi (Fuori dalle corde, Miséricorde, and the TV series Quartier des Banques), was conceived by Thomas Ritter, Maria Roselli, and Mattia Lento and consists of six 45-minute episodes.

The story revolves around Anna, a journalist with a troubled past, who finds herself investigating the most famous and mysterious art theft of the 20th century: the theft of a Caravaggio painting that occurred in Palermo in 1969. An unsolved case that Anna will discover to be linked to her father's death. What Anna doesn't know is that her investigation will uncover disturbing ties between her family and organized crime in Sicily, opening a Pandora's box that will lead her to question everything and everyone, even those closest to her.

The role of Anna is played by Italian actress Gaia Messerklinger. Among her most notable roles are Moana Pozzi in the Netflix series Supersex and Agata in Cuori on Rai 1. Alongside her, in the role of Commissioner Andrea, is Alberto Malanchino, a Milanese actor known to the public for the series Doc – Nelle tue mani on Rai 1 and Summertime on Netflix. The cast also includes Luca Filippi, who has appeared in films such as Hammamet by Gianni Amelio, Classe Z by Guido Chiesa, and in the series Lidia Poët (Netflix) and L'alligatore (Rai 2); Sandra Ceccarelli, an established actress on the European scene, awarded the Coppa Volpi in Venice for Luce dei miei occhi and nominated for the David di Donatello and the European Film Awards for La vita che vorrei; Fabrizio Ferracane (Il traditore and Ariaferma, Il commissario Montalbano, Squadra antimafia and The Bad Guy), Michele Venitucci (Tutto l’amore che c’è) and Swiss actress Esther Gemsch, a historic face of the soap Lüthi und Blanc and star of films such as Haus ohne Fenster, Schweizer Helden and The Golden Years.

Alongside them are seven performers from Italian-speaking Switzerland, with solid experience in theater, film, and television: Cecilia Broggini, seen in Segreti e sorelle, Mi fido di te and La scuola è finita; Andrea Carpinteri (Universitari and Maìn – La casa della felicità); Massimiliano Zampetti (Tramonto a Nord Ovest and Love Me Tender, among others); Diego Benzoni (Finding Camille, Palazzo di giustizia and 40enni in salita); Roberta Fossile Seller, award-winning voice actress for her dubbing of Sandra Hüller in Anatomy of a Fall and actress in the upcoming film by Leonardo Di Costanzo; Jasmin Mattei, featured in productions such as Cronofobia, Electric Fields and Gloria! and Davide Gagliardi, active in Ticino theater and films such as Stürm and L'Arminuta.

The crew also includes 32 technicians from Italian-speaking Switzerland, involved in the various phases of production.

La linea della palma is a co-production of RSI with Hugofilm Features (Zurich) and ARTE, in collaboration with Indiana Production (Milan) and Central Productions (Lugano), with the support of the Ticino Film Commission, the Teleproduktions-Fonds, the Zürcher Filmstiftung, Lugano Region, and the Municipality of Paradiso. The TV series will be broadcast on RSI LA 1 from December 1, 2025 (two episodes per week in prime time) and in early 2026 on RTS and SRF.