Sagoh
A Milestone for Roma Cinema
The red carpet at the Venice Film Festival is often synonymous with established icons and high-budget spectacles, but this year, the spotlight has shifted toward a transformative debut that carries the weight of history. Alina Șerban, the acclaimed Romanian actress and playwright, has etched her name into the annals of international cinema as the first female Roma director to have a feature film screened at an A-list festival. Her debut, I Matter, which held its world premiere in the prestigious Venice Spotlight section, is more than just a cinematic achievement; it is a profound reclamation of identity.
For Șerban, standing on the Lido—the historic home of the world’s oldest film festival—is the culmination of a lifelong crusade to rewrite the narrative surrounding the marginalized Roma community. Her work challenges the reductive tropes that have historically plagued Roma representation in media, opting instead for a lens of nuance, dignity, and unapologetic self-celebration.
Chronology: A Trajectory of Resilience
To understand the magnitude of Șerban’s presence in Venice, one must look at the improbable path she traveled to get there. Her biography reads like a testament to the power of artistic conviction against the crushing weight of systemic poverty.
- Early Life in Bucharest: Born into poverty in the Romanian capital, Șerban’s childhood was marked by instability. She spent formative years within the state-run orphanage system, an experience that would later serve as the raw, emotional bedrock for her directorial work.
- Breaking the Educational Ceiling: Despite the odds stacked against her, Șerban became the first in her family to graduate from high school. Her intellectual and artistic ambitions led her to the prestigious Academy of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography in Bucharest.
- International Mentorship: Her talent propelled her onto the global stage. She secured a place at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, followed by a Master’s degree from London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).
- The One-Woman Revolution: Upon returning to Romania, she did not wait for the industry to invite her in. She mounted a series of acclaimed one-woman shows that unflinchingly confronted discrimination, poverty, and the search for belonging.
- The 2021 Genesis: I Matter began its life as a short film, which earned critical praise at festivals like New Directors/New Films. Its success provided the foundation for the feature-length expansion that has now arrived in Venice.
The Core of I Matter: A Narrative of Identity
I Matter is, at its heart, a semi-autobiographical odyssey. The narrative follows a young Roma woman navigating the precarious transition from institutional life to adulthood. Faced with the imminent threat of being ousted from the orphanage that has been her only home, the protagonist must reconcile her desire for independence with the reality of a world that frequently denies her agency.
The film is not merely a drama; it is a structural critique of how society views the "other." In casting newcomer Denisa Farcaș in the lead role, Șerban chose a collaborator who shares the lived experience of the story. According to Șerban, the production was a highly collaborative, communal process. She prioritized giving the young actors—many of whom are non-professionals—the agency to imbue the script with their own authentic voices. By focusing on "what it means to be accepted," the film serves as both a mirror for the Roma community and a window for the global audience.
Supporting Data and Production Context
The success of I Matter is supported by a robust international coalition of producers, signaling the growing appetite for diverse, authentic stories in European cinema. The film is a co-production between microFILM (Romania), 2Pilots Filmproduction (Germany), Frakas Prods. (Belgium), and Lemming Film (Netherlands). International sales are managed by Pluto Film, highlighting the commercial and artistic viability of the project on the global market.
The film’s production reflects a commitment to integrity. By integrating the perspectives of sixteen child performers who lived through their own orphanage experiences, Șerban ensured that the film’s "orphanage scenes" carried a level of verisimilitude that no professional actor could replicate. The inclusion of the Roma band Mahala Rai Banda at the festival premiere was a deliberate move to bring the culture and joy of the Roma community to the forefront of the elite Venetian event, subverting the typical solemnity of such ceremonies with an act of cultural pride.
Official Responses and Perspectives
When asked about the immense pressure of being the "first," Șerban’s response to Variety was a mix of vulnerability and profound relief.
"I’m nervous about the pressure of being ‘the first’ — all the firsts," she admitted. "But I also have this immense relief, and the feeling of being grateful that I managed to pull through something almost impossible."
This sentiment is echoed by those who have followed her career. Șerban has consistently rejected the "victim" narrative, arguing that her goal is to show the humanity of her people without self-exoticization. "I want to look back and say I did everything in my power for the people in the team to share this moment," she stated. "And also to put into the world a message of dignity, of celebration, of pain that needs to be seen."
Her peers in the industry recognize this as a turning point. Having already established herself as an actress—most notably in Goran Stolevski’s 2023 film Housekeeping for Beginners—her transition to the director’s chair is viewed by critics as a natural evolution for an artist who has spent her career building a platform for others to stand on.
Implications: A New Era for Roma Representation
The significance of I Matter at the Venice Film Festival cannot be overstated. It serves as a litmus test for the film industry’s stated commitment to diversity. For years, Roma stories have been told by outsiders, often resulting in films that lean into stereotypes of crime, poverty, or romanticized nomadism.
Șerban’s work dismantles these structures by offering a perspective that is "insider-led." The implications of her success are three-fold:
- Institutional Validation: By providing a platform for Șerban, major festivals acknowledge that Roma perspectives are not a "niche" interest but a vital component of European cultural discourse.
- Narrative Ownership: The film sets a new standard for how marginalized groups should be represented on screen, emphasizing that the most authentic stories are those where the subjects are the authors of their own history.
- The "First" as a Gateway: While Șerban expresses anxiety about being the "first," she is acutely aware that her presence paves the way for others. Her success provides a blueprint for young Roma creatives, proving that the barrier between an orphanage in Bucharest and the red carpet in Venice is not an impenetrable wall, but a path that can be walked with enough resilience and talent.
As the credits rolled in Venice, the applause was not just for a film; it was an acknowledgment of a journey that began in the shadows of systemic neglect and ended in the bright, unfiltered light of international acclaim. Alina Șerban has not only made a film; she has authored a manifesto for the next generation of Roma storytellers, proving definitively that their lives, their pain, and their joys matter.
Asep Darmawan
Nana
