Florin Șerban wins Locarno’s Pardo d’Oro for Romanian film

Romanian filmmaker Florin Șerban has won the Pardo d’Oro, the highest prize at the 79th Locarno Film Festival, for his film ‘You Don’t Belong Here’. The 154-minute drama explores the relationship between a single father and his teenage son. In addition to the top prize, the film received the festival’s Junior Jury and Europa Cinemas Label awards.

This victory follows another major achievement for Romanian cinema earlier this year, when Cristian Mungiu won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for ‘Fjord’. These consecutive wins at major international festivals signal renewed momentum for the Romanian film industry.

Following his success at Locarno, Șerban is preparing his next feature, ‘Ela, or the Diary of a Dutiful Daughter From Romania’. Inspired by the works of Simone de Beauvoir, the project follows a young woman attempting to escape a troubled family environment. The film will be produced by Șerban’s Bucharest-based label, Fantascope Films, alongside Scharf Film and Avanpost.