The Fane Alm in the Ski & Almenregion Gitschberg Jochtal is not only popular among hikers and tourists, also film-makers discovered the beautiful alpine village in South Tyrol quite some time ago. The Vallertal’s secluded situation creates the impression that time has stood still here for decades. In summer, the small village is surrounded by flowering alpine meadows, while white snow fields and thick snow, cover the small houses in winter. The original buildings are well-preserved witnesses of South Tyrol’s traditional timber construction. The small Marienkirche from 1898, the Gattererhütte as well as the many, traditional wooden barns create the unique and magic Fane Alm atmosphere.
This special place at an altitude of 1,739 metres already served as idyllic backdrop for a couple of films. A special backdrop as early as in 1933, director Werner Asam also opted for the Fane Alm as shooting location of film drama “Der Judas von Tirol“ in 2006.

Bergdoktor Winterspecial 2015 “Schuld“

Probably the Alps’ most popular TV doctor, Bergdoktor Martin Gruber, used the Fane Alm in March 2014 as filming location for the 90-minute winter special entitled “Schuld“. After a tragic avalanche accident, the Bergdoktor, embodied by Hans Sigl, seeks to escape his own conscience and starts to look for answers in isolation. The idyllic, timeless-looking treasure of the Fane Alm offered ideal backdrop conditions.

Some facts on the one-month mountain shooting that involved about 50 people on site:

  • The attachment ropes of the Gitschberg summit cross were removed to shot helicopter scenes. Although they were re-installed shortly after, the cross had to be renewed in the summer of 2015. Whether the Bergdoktor shooting hereby played a role remains an open question.
  • One of the traditional lodges was changed as well and served as the Bergdoktor’s bed room. Despite on-going filming activities, the lodge’s host provided outstanding catering to the film crew under his roof. The Kuttnhütte was hereby used as dining area.
  • Although South Tyrol had lots of snow in the winter of 2013/2014, the warm spring sun had coloured the white slopes behind the Fane Alm brown. Helping out with snow cannons as requested by the film crew was unfortunately impossible, as even high-performance snow cannons reach their limits without the necessary infrastructure and temperatures. However, thanks to the Gitschberg Jochtal region’s “good contacts” to St. Peter, it soon began to snow again once filming had started.
  • Filming means drama. And what could be more dramatic than a real avalanche? This is what the Bergdoktor film people had scripted and hoped the cable car operators would deliver. In light of a winter particularly rich in snow, with snow falls and high avalanche risks over several days, the professionals deemed such an endeavour too risky though. However, the Gitschberg Jochtal cable car operators simulated an avalanche field in the proximity of the mountain restaurant. Large snow piles with branches and other materials that are usually dragged along by avalanches where gathered with snow cats.
  • Professional tips for the film doc and vice versa: The skiing area’s rescue crew transported the doc to filming locations using a skidoo. Of course, he was allowed to ride along sitting upright and not lying in the rescue trailer and the layman received interesting tips from the professionals.
  • Locals as well were involved in the shooting. A hiking guide and first responder from the region was a Bergdoktor stand-in two times. If only he was not that modest, he could have signed various autographs.