23/10/2024 - Carmen Trocker’s documentary zooms in on a hotel in the Italian Dolomites, focusing on the workers behind the scenes of the tourist narrative

Carmen Trocker’s debut feature, a documentary titled Personale [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carmen Trocker
film profile], tells the story of the housekeeping team at a hotel in the Italian Dolomites. In the laundry room and hotel corridors, we observe their work: their movements, gestures, routines and processes, and we see their stories resonate within the hotel’s structures. The film shifts the perspective, focusing on the workers behind the scenes of the tourist narrative.

Trocker’s pic will have its world premiere in the Luminous strand of this year’s IDFA, unspooling in the Dutch capital from 14-24 November. Speaking about her work, Trocker says: “Adopting the workers’ perspective and looking at the underbelly of this industry from within a tourist institution shifts our gaze and perception. With Personale, I want to bring the workers out of their invisibility and onto the stage, telling their version of the story – as if the text in an advertising brochure were to report on the work and lives of the workers, alongside the photos of the hotel interiors. What does this also tell us about ourselves, about what we don’t want to see or what we no longer want to acknowledge?

“Italy relies heavily on migrant labour in many areas, yet at the same time, xenophobic and anti-immigrant tendencies are on the rise. In such a climate, I believe it’s crucial to broaden our perspective, to create spaces for observation, and to sharpen our awareness of what drives people and what they achieve through their work.”

Personale is being produced by the director herself and Ronny Trocker for Bagarrefilm (Italy) and Ralph Wieser for Mischief Film (Austria) in collaboration with Albolina Film (Italy). Austria’s filmdelights is in charge of its world sales.

Check out our exclusive teaser below: