Based on the best-selling Italian novel by Erin Doom, The Tearsmith is a gothic young-adult story of forbidden love and hidden secrets, filmed in many scenic locations throughout Italy. I’ve compiled some of the more recognizable architectural highlights of the Netflix movie, as well as some more details on the production and the novel’s enigmatic author.
With the original novel, Fabricante di lacrime, being set in Italy, it made sense to film the adaptation there. In many scenes and establishing shots for the film you can see the unmistakable architecture of Rome, including some nice shots of the Complesso del Buon Pastore, found at Via di Bravetta.
The film acknowledges the province of Pescara, and the city of Pescara, and a lot of the filming took place in this area. Polizia locale di Pescara is also noted in the film’s credits, so the filmmakers were working closely with local police and authorities in Pescara to keep the shoot running smoothly and uninterrupted.
Pescara Energia SPA are also name-checked, as they are behind the management of public lighting, traffic lights, and the tech systems of Pescara, so Pescara was happy for the film to be shot there and offered a lot of support.
Another location that we may have spotted, especially in the opening shots of the film, is around Gran Sasso E Monti Della Laga National Park, and the vast parkland area covers the provinces of Teramo, L’Aquila, and Pescara in Abruzzo, with small areas in the provinces of Rieti in Lazio and Ascoli Piceno in Marche.
Gran Sasso E Monti Della Laga National Park
Production Timeline
Here’s how The Tearsmith made its way to Netflix:
- The Tearsmith novel was written by the enigmatic Erin Doom and was published by Magazzini Salani in 2021. The book would manage to find an audience online, with it receiving massive coverage on platforms like TikTok.
- The hype was real, as by 2022 it became the best-selling novel of the year in Italy. All that attention caught the eye of Colorado Film who acquired the rights to make a film adaptation.
- They wasted no time, with production starting in mid-2022.
- The shoot began in February 2023.
- Filming wrapped in June 2023.
- Following post-production, The Tearsmith arrived on Netflix in April 2024.
The film was directed by Milan-born Alessandro Genovesi, an actor, writer, and director who you may have encountered with productions such as The Worst Week of My Life, and When Mom is Away.
The film was produced by Colorado Film, a Rainbow Company.
Who is Erin Doom?
Erin Doom is a pseudonym used by the author to avoid being in the spotlight after the publication of her novels. However, the writer, who also has a background in law, is actually called Matilde and would appear on an Italian talk show in May of 2023, where she revealed herself for the first time while being interviewed on the Italian magazine-style chat show. You can watch the clip below:
