Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Freddy Macdonald, ‘Sew Torn’ chronicles a day in the life of Barbara Duggen, a mobile seamstress who is desperate to resurrect her dwindling business by any means necessary. The opportunity presents itself in the most twisted fashion — a drug deal gone wrong that leaves behind a briefcase full of cash. Barbara’s heart and mind are torn between three possible decisions, and the story explores each scenario in great detail, revealing the good, the bad, and the ugly that come with them. To that end, every detail in Barbara’s life, from her actions to the minute changes in her environment, all come into play in the black comedy thriller movie, which is based on Macdonald’s 2019 short film of the same name. As the narrative fragments further, both the characters and the audience find an anchor in the movie’s setting, which captures snowy peaks, lush greens, and architectural marvels all in one plane.
Sew Torn Filming Locations
‘Sew Torn’ was lensed entirely in Switzerland, with Tamina Valley and Bad Ragaz serving as the chief filming locations. Situated in Canton St. Gallen of the Sarganserland-Werdenberg region, both locations saw eager participation from locals in the development of the exterior and interior scenes. Production took place in the fall of 2022, sometime between the months of October and November.
Tamina Valley, Switzerland
Situated in the heart of the Canton St. Gallen, the lush natural landscapes of the Tamina Valley became the primary filming grounds for the cast and crew of ‘Sew Torn.’ In particular, they set camp in a hamlet known as Vättis, located on the southernmost end of the valley. Sebastian Klinger, the cinematographer of the film, commented that the entire hamlet was involved in the filmmaking process, with locals generously opening their doors to the transformation of town fixtures into movie setpieces. The creative team reportedly converted a Vättis boarding school into a police interrogation room. In another instance, a local house doubled as the protagonist’s seamstress shop, further enhancing the believability of these key locations.
Director MacDonald also incorporated the geographical features of the valley into the storytelling, citing how Tamina Valley’s limited daylight hours and towering Swiss Alps peaks mimic the characters’ emotions at any given moment. The movie also features Hotel Calanda, located at Platz 16 of the hamlet, as the backdrop to an extended sequence. Additionally, the iconic Tamina Bridge, the highest arch bridge in Europe, appears in several key sequences of the movie, adding to its dynamic visual identity. The picturesque, winding roads of Tamina Valley also make a recurring appearance, reiterating why the region is perfect for filming nature at its most pristine.
Sebastian Klinger, who served as the location scout for the film’s locations, in addition to being its producer and cinematographer, recalled some highlights from the shoot while talking with Südostschweiz. In particular, he reminisced about their last day of filming when they had to shoot a real explosion scene in the valley, saying, “Normally, such scenes are filmed with a tripod. But as a passionate cameraman, I couldn’t allow that. So, a plexiglass box was built for me to protect me from the explosion, allowing me to film the scene myself, just a few meters away.” Accompanied by such thrilling sequences, Tamina Valley takes center stage in and through its filmmaking process.
Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
A chunk of ‘Sew Torn’ was also filmed in the neighbouring municipality of Bad Ragaz, which is famous for its thermal baths and saunas. The production team likely taped many of the urban sequences of the film in this region, owing to its blend of classical and modern architecture, while still retaining the aesthetic quality that is unique to Switzerland. While Bad Ragaz is known for its booming tourism and spa industry, the creative team of the movie carved out its own visual niche, ensuring that the location blended in with the larger visual palette of the movie, which is reliant on its tight-knit cast being placed in isolated environments. Given that the spa town, along with the Tamina Valley, also served as the filming location for the original short film on which ‘Sew Torn’ is based, it is fitting for the crew to return to these locations for the larger rendition of the story.
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