Groundbreaking Roma Director Alina Șerban on ‘Pain,’ ‘Joy,’ of Historic, Venice-Bound ‘I Matter’: ‘I Managed to Do Something Impossible’
Roma actress and playwright Alina Șerban has made her feature directing debut with "I Matter," which world premieres at the Venice Film Festival in the Venice Spotlight section. The film is being billed as the first feature by a female Roma director to screen at an A-list festival, marking a significant milestone for Șerban and for Roma representation in cinema more broadly.
Inspired by Șerban's own life, the film follows a young Roma woman training to be an actor who faces eviction from her orphanage and must confront her identity while navigating life alone. It is based on Șerban's 2021 short of the same name and stars newcomer Denisa Farcaș, with production by microFILM, 2Pilots Filmproduction, Frakas Prods. and Lemming Film. Șerban, who grew up in poverty in Bucharest and was placed in a state orphanage before studying at NYU's Tisch School and London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, will be joined at the premiere by nearly two dozen cast members, including 16 child performers, with Roma band Mahala Rai Banda performing on the red carpet.
- Alina Șerban's "I Matter" premieres at Venice, a historic first
- First feature by a female Roma director at an A-list festival
- Film draws on Șerban's own life story of poverty and resilience
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Roma actress and playwright Alina Șerban has directed her first feature film, "I Matter," which is about to have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The story draws on Șerban's own experiences of growing up in poverty in Bucharest and spending time in a state orphanage, before going on to train at drama schools in New York and London.
The film centres on a young Roma woman training to become an actor, who is evicted from her orphanage and has to work out who she is while fending for herself. It builds on a short film Șerban made in 2021, features a first-time lead actress, and was made by a group of European production companies.
The premiere is being described as a milestone, as it is said to be the first time a feature film directed by a female Roma filmmaker has screened at a major international festival of this kind, giving it added significance for Roma representation in the film industry.