Romanian Filmmaker Alina Serban Brings Intimate Roma Story to Venice 2026

Romanian filmmaker and actress Alina Serban is heading to the 2026 Venice Film Festival with ‘I Matter’, a deeply personal drama that draws from her own life experiences.

The film centers on a young Roma woman caught between two conflicting worlds the traditions and expectations of her family and community, and her own ambitions for an independent future. An exclusive clip released ahead of the festival premiere hints at the emotional turmoil at the heart of the story.

“The film examines what happens when personal ambition clashes with tradition,” Serban explained of the project, which marks another step in her career exploring Roma representation on screen.

For Serban, who has built her reputation on giving voice to underrepresented communities, ‘I Matter’ represents her most intimate work yet. The story draws directly from her lived experience as a Roma woman navigating between loyalty to her roots and the desire to forge her own path.

The Venice premiere offers a significant platform for the film, bringing it before a major international audience. It arrives amid a growing wave of festival projects highlighting stories from communities rarely centered in mainstream cinema.

As the film prepares for its lagoon debut, early reactions to the released footage suggest Serban has crafted a character-driven drama that resonates beyond its specific cultural context. With its exploration of identity, family loyalty, and self-determination, ‘I Matter’ appears poised to be one of the more compelling personal dramas at this year’s festival.