"Ferrante and I had close cooperation"

Elisa Del Genio as a young Elena and Ludovica Nasti as a young violet in a scene of "My Brilliant Friend". Press picture.picture: Eduardo Castaldo / HBO / AP / TT

The fact that the writer and the director cooperate when a book is a movie or a television is not unusual – but in this case, it's a little different. Elena Ferrante is a pseudonym, and although there are more or less credible theories about who (or who) is hiding behind the name, there is no official answer.

So, Constanzo and Ferrante collaborated by e-mail.

"She had comments, but she did not want to impose anything on the production," says Saverio Constanzo.

"All she needed was to keep the prologue, to show that an older woman was starting to write a book as revenge, then she would suggest suggestions for new aftershocks. good writer.

In the four books – of a total length of about 1,800 pages, and as Ferrante sees it as a long novel – we see how girls Elena and Lila know each other, how they grow up in the world. one of the poorest neighborhoods of Tomb for neighbor Nino and how the changes in Italian society also affect their lives for better and for worse.

In this way, books also represent the evolution of Italian society. There are books full of love and warmth, but also violence, brutality and corruption. Modern society is fraught with old customs and women's oppression has been similar over the decades – whether in the narrow and poor neighborhood or in universities.

The books have been sold worldwide to several million copies. Only in Sweden, if you rely on all the so – called formats, the books are sold at close to one million copies. They are published in more than 45 countries.

The TV series was recorded in Caserta, just outside Naples. It was possible to build sets over an area of ​​20,000 square meters and it is believed that there will be new sets of scenery when the other three books are filmed.

For Constanzo, the story of Ferrant is not just a story of friendship and feminine liberation. His message on the need for education is at least as important. In the book, the teacher, Miss Oliviero, has an important place in the talent of these two little poor girls and decides that, despite the wish of their parents, she will encourage them to continue their studies.

"Talking about women's friendship is not new, it's about talking about the power of teaching – a good teacher can save your life, a good teacher can create the direction your life will take. Is the most political content of the book, but today you have to hide it in a story.And it must be epic.If you ask someone to read a book about the need of He will not hear it, so Ferrante hides it in an epic story, says Saverio Constanzo.

"My brilliant friend" is premiered on HBO Nordic on November 19th.