Romanian filmmaker Florin Şerban has announced his next project following his triumph at the Locarno Film Festival, where his latest work earned the prestigious Golden Leopard award. The film, titled “Ela, or the Diary of a Dutiful Daughter From Romania,” is currently in its casting phase. Şerban revealed details about the production while attending the Sarajevo Film Festival, where his award-winning film continues to screen in the main competition.
The upcoming feature, penned by screenwriter Adriana Neagoe, centers on a young Romanian woman struggling to escape a family plagued by alcoholism and violence. The narrative draws inspiration from Simone de Beauvoir’s existential memoir and follows the protagonist as she documents her aspirations through a TikTok diary, documenting the life she envisions rather than her actual reality. The production has already secured backing from Romania’s CNC and will be handled by Şerban’s production company Fantascope Films in partnership with Scharf Film and Avanpost, though international co-producers are still being sought.
Şerban’s recent success with “You Don’t Belong Here” marks a significant career moment for the Romanian filmmaker. The drama, which explores systemic racism and toxic masculinity in Southeast Europe, garnered multiple accolades at Locarno including the Junior Jury Prize and Europa Cinemas Label Award. The film’s premiere experience proved emotionally overwhelming for Şerban, who described watching his work on the festival’s large screen as an exhausting, transformative moment that left him nearly in tears.
Originally reported by Variety →
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