Florin Şerban, a Romanian filmmaker, is moving forward with his next feature project following the recent success of “You Don’t Belong Here” at the Locarno Film Festival. The director announced the development of “Ela, or the Diary of a Dutiful Daughter From Romania” while attending the Sarajevo Film Festival, where his award-winning film is competing in the main selection.
“Ela” will be written by Adriana Neagoe and centers on a young Romanian woman navigating a difficult family situation marked by alcoholism and violence. The narrative follows her attempt to escape her circumstances before repeating familial patterns. The protagonist documents her aspirations through a TikTok diary, contrasting her desired life with her actual circumstances. The project draws inspiration from Simone de Beauvoir’s “Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter.” Casting for the film is already underway, with Romania’s CNC providing financial support.
The production involves Şerban’s Bucharest-based company Fantascope Films alongside Scharf Film and Avanpost. The director is currently seeking additional international co-producers for the project. “You Don’t Belong Here,” which examined systemic racism and toxic masculinity in Southeast Europe, earned multiple honors at Locarno beyond the top prize, including the Junior Jury Award, Europa Cinemas Label Award, and special recognition for young actor Teodor Butănescu.
Şerban took a hiatus from directing after 2018’s “Love 2. America” to focus on Școala de Film, a film school he established in Bucharest. The institution helped him discover talent for his latest film, including Butănescu. With his school operating successfully, Şerban indicated he was prepared to return to directing with material he found personally significant and thematically pressing.
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