Alina Șerban’s feature directorial debut, “I Matter,” will premiere at the Venice Film Festival, marking a historic moment as the first feature from a female Roma director to screen at an A-list festival. The film, inspired by Șerban’s own life, tells the story of a young Roma woman and aspiring actress facing challenges in the Romanian state-run orphanage system.
Șerban, who rose from poverty and became the first in her family to graduate high school, describes feeling “nervous about the pressure of being ‘the first’ — all the firsts,” but also experiencing “immense relief” and gratitude for completing what she called “something almost impossible.” She previously attended the festival in 2023 with a supporting role in Goran Stolevski’s “Housekeeping for Beginners.”
“I Matter” is based on Șerban’s 2021 short film of the same name. The feature stars newcomer Denisa Farcaș, who, according to Șerban, brings her own life experience to the lead role. Șerban emphasized a collaborative process with Farcaș and the cast, focusing on exploring “what it means to be accepted” as Roma women and allowing the actors to “express themselves — to feel that they also own the story.”
Șerban’s work aims to reframe the narrative around the Roma community, moving beyond portrayals of victims or villains to “show the humanity of these people…to celebrate ourselves.” Prior to “I Matter,” she wrote and staged plays championing a radical, feminist, Roma perspective. The film is a production of microFILM, 2Pilots Filmproduction, Frakas Prods. and Lemming Film, with Pluto Film handling international sales.
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