Venice Film ‘I Matter’, About Roma Experience, Gets Sales Deal
EXCLUSIVE: Pluto Film has picked up international sales rights to I Matter by Alina Șerban ahead of its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.
The directorial debut by actress Alina Șerban (Alone at My Wedding) screens in the Venice Spotlight section. According to the filmmakers it is the first film by a Roma woman to be selected for an A-list festival, and marks Șerban’s return to Venice as a filmmaker following her role in Housekeeping for Beginners by Goran Stolevski.
In the drama, Șerban draws on her own journey to explore identity, belonging, and the experience of being a minority. Through her work in theatre and film, she has spent the past 15 years creating space for Roma stories from a Roma perspective.
The film’s synopsis reads: “As she stands on the verge of leaving the orphanage she called home, Rebeca, a young Roma girl, clings to the hope that her father’s release from prison will finally give her the family she has always longed for. When she is accepted into university to study acting, life finally seems to be opening up for her. But just as Rebeca begins to find her place in this new world, the life she comes from starts to catch up with her, forcing her to make choices she can no longer postpone.”
The drama is produced by Microfilm, 2PilotsFilmproduction, Frakas Productions in co-production with ZDF Das kleine Fernsehspiel in association with ARTE, Lemming Film Belgium, Avanpost Media, Orange & Be tv, Proximus, Shelter Prod, Romanian Television. The film is supported by Romanian Film Center, The Government of Romania, Creative Europe – Media Programme of the European Union, Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Film and Audiovisual Centre of Wallonia Brussels Federation, Tax shelter of the Belgian Federal Government, Taxshelter.be & ING, The Belgian Development Cooperation.
Serban is known for starring in Alone at My Wedding, selected for the ACID lineup at the Cannes Film Festival, and dramas Gipsy Queen and Housekeeping for Beginners. A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), she is a Knight of the Order of Cultural Merit in Romania.
“I Matter is yet another milestone in my career as a producer, marking the first feature film by a Roma woman filmmaker to break through into the world of A-list festivals. Inspiring, emotional, delicate yet powerful, it is a film that needs to be accompanied by a partner who understands and feels the complexity of its message. We were fascinated from our very first discussion with Pluto Film by their clear vision for the life of the film and the human touch in their approach. We are truly confident that our first collaboration with Pluto Film will help the film achieve the international career it deserves, bringing it to a wide audience while also placing Alina Șerban’s unique voice in its rightful place on the international scene”, commented the film’s main producer Ada Solomon of Microfilm.
“We are thrilled and honoured to join the team with Ada Solomon and Carla Fotea from microFILM and bring audiences this powerful debut feature. Director Alina Șerban tells a deeply personal story that resonates far beyond the screen. We fell in love with Rebeca—her character is so engaging and authentic that you find yourself completely invested in her journey. Rooted in the director’s own experiences, I Matter is more than a story of empowerment for young people facing systemic disadvantage. It’s a warmly human narrative that invites audiences to truly understand the complexities of overcoming a difficult background. We’re confident this story will connect with audiences globally and spark important conversations about resilience, identity, and the transformative power of art”, commented Daniela Cölle, Managing Director at Pluto Film.
