The city of Bari, the capital of Italy’s popular Puglia region, is a port city on the Adriatic Sea beloved by locals and tourists alike for its picturesque coastline and breathtaking architecture. In the 1990s, however, this region that makes up the heel of the country’s famous boot was also a hub for organised crime of the most sinister variety.
It’s this dark world that acclaimed eight-part Italian series Cold Summer inhabits, bringing to life the bestselling novel by former anti-Mafia prosecutor, Gianrico Carofiglio. Born in Bari himself, Carofiglio worked as a prosecutor during this peak of organised crime in the city and came face to face with those involved in the drug trafficking, violence and brutal killings that defined the Mafia in Bari. Buoyed by Carofiglio’s unique perspective and insight, the series tracks the impact of this period both for individuals and the community of this seaside town.
Its protagonist, Sergeant Pietro Fenoglio (Alessio Boni) of the Carabinieri Operational Unit, is as dedicated as they come, but Fenoglio also likes to go it alone and do things his own way, a preference that often lands him in trouble with his superiors. It’s clear that, for Fenoglio, pursuing justice is more than just a job, but it’s also a task that is not as simple as he would like, especially when those standing alongside him could be as much of a threat as the criminals they are chasing. Alliances on both sides of the law are important, and Fenoglio, despite his laid-back approach and dry sense of humour, is not afraid to push the boundaries of the system to get to the truth.
Like all good crime series, Cold Summer opens with a murder, but this one in the worker’s village initially appears to be an isolated incident. In true Fenoglio style, however, he looks beyond the obvious narrative and locates anomalies in the case that reveal a possible connection to a broader criminal operation, one that could tie both victim and perpetrator to some of the city’s most feared figures.
Fenoglio has a way of seeing things others don’t...
Fenoglio’s partner Pellecchia (Paolo Sassanali) is more straightforward in his approach when working a case and would like his colleague to stick to solving the homicide at hand, but even he can’t deny that Fenoglio has a way of seeing things others don’t. If there is something there, prosecutor Gemma D’Angelo (Giulia Vecchio) doesn’t have time to waste, and puts pressure on the pair to come up with answers, pronto.
Fenoglio is committed to bringing the perpetrator of this crime to justice but keeps one eye on the possible Mafia ring he suspects is operating in the city, one that he has no doubt will have significant implications not only for the individuals involved, but for Bari and its residents more broadly. Top of Fenoglio’s list are prominent local crime boss Nicola Grimaldi (Marcello Prayer) and his cronies, including trusted associate Vito Lopez (Michele Venitucci). Though Pellecchia bemoans his partner’s obsession with these figures of Bari’s underworld, Fenoglio feels that something big is about to go down, and whatever remained of his work-life balance is quickly eroded as he spends every spare minute trying to visualise this complex web of crime.
'Cold Summer'. Credit: Francesca Cassaro
As tensions rise in Bari, and Nicola Grimaldi and his clan find themselves under attack from forces within and outside, the presence of Mafia activity in the city becomes hard to deny, despite the best efforts of those at the top. Fenoglio knows that the heightened volatility of the situation will bring with it violence and upheaval, and that the smaller cases he has been investigating are likely connected to a factional war waging in the city. When Grimaldi is hit painfully close to home, it’s not just Bari under threat: Fenoglio, too, could see his life changed forever.
No one is better placed than Carofiglio to recount this period of Bari’s history, but that is not a fact that the author and former anti-Mafia judge needs to prove. The benefit of his insight is evident at every stage of the series, both in the characters he creates and the storyline that unfolds, with authenticity a welcome consequence of his tangible connection to this pivotal time in Italian history.
With all eight episodes of Cold Summer now available to stream, and the series’ grittier modern Italian cousin Gomorrah returning to SBS On Demand from May 1st, settle in for a season of Italy’s best crime dramas, with complexity, action, and binge-worthy intrigue guaranteed.
Cold Summer is streaming at SBS On Demand.
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Cold Summer
