Romania will be represented at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival with the feature film 'Eu contez'/'I Matter,' written and directed by Alina Serban.

According to a press release from the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday, the Romanian Cultural Institute for Cultural and Humanistic Research in Venice is supporting Romania's participation in the 83rd Venice International Film Festival with 'I Matter,' written and directed by Alina Serban, a co-production between Romania (microFILM), Germany (2Pilots Filmproduction) and Belgium (Frakas Productions, Lemming Film).

The film's official screening will take place on Tuesday, 8 September at 9pm in the Giardino Hall.

'I Matter' has been selected for the Venice Spotlight competition, which features eight feature films this year.

Designed for productions aimed at a broad audience, the section is dedicated to films characterised by innovation and creativity that establish an original relationship with viewers.

The film is competing for two awards: the Armani Beauty Audience Award and the Luigi De Laurentiis Award for A Debut Film, presented by an international jury, the ICR said.

The selection for Venice Spotlight marks Alina Serban's return to the Venice International Film Festival, where she appeared in the Orizzonti competition in 2023 with 'Housekeeping for Beginners,' directed by Goran Stolevski. This year, the artist returns to the festival as a director with her debut feature, 'I Matter.'

Her presence represents an important moment for Romanian cinema, with Alina Serban becoming the first Roma woman director from Romania to present a feature film in this competition, the source said.

Spoken in Romanian and Romani, the feature film is the result of an artistic research process carried out over more than four years in collaboration with young people in the social protection system who took part in documentary projects and theatre performances. The film combines the director's personal experience with those of these young people, creating a cinematic universe inspired by social and personal realities, the release reads.

'We very rarely see Roma characters experiencing complex human lives beyond stereotypes. And stories about what it means to be a girl, Roma and part of the child protection system are almost non-existent. Through 'I Matter,' I wanted to build a bridge towards a deeper understanding of these experiences and, above all, tell a story about humanity. The fact that this film is beginning its journey in Venice means an enormous amount to me,' Alina Serban said.

The cast includes Denisa Farcas, Sorin Mihai, Angelina Pavel, Vanessa Dancea, Raisa Mihai, Alexandru Stancu, Alina Berzunteanu and Natalia Calin, together with 16 children and young people living at Casa Iosif and Casa Sara residential care centres, part of the Magurele Christian Social Ensemble in Bucharest.

The film is produced by Ada Solomon and Carla Fotea. The artistic and technical team includes Nona Catusanu (cinematography), Letitia Stefanescu (editing), Andreea Popa (production design), Dana Anghel (costume design), Vlaicu Golcea (music) and Quentin Jacques, Lise Bouchez and Jean Stephane Garbe (sound). AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)