Romanian director Florin Șerban’s You Don’t Belong Here (Nu e locul tău aici) won the Pardo d’Oro, or Golden Leopard, at the 79th Locarno Film Festival. The award marks Șerban’s return to feature filmmaking after an eight-year absence.
The father-son drama impressed the jury of the festival’s International Competition through “the strength of its screenplay, the uniqueness of its vision, and its exceptional command of cinematic language.”
The film follows Marius, the chief medical officer at a hospital in his small hometown, who is raising his teenage son, Ioan, alone after the death of his wife. Although confident in his professional life, Marius is unaware that his son spends his nights cycling through town and vandalizing cars with a gang of masked vigilantes. His world is shaken when he learns that police suspect Ioan of murder.
The cast includes Adrian Văncică, Teodor Butănescu, Alex Conovaru, Cristina Richter, Janir Izdrăilă, and Cosmin Dominte.
You Don’t Belong Here has also been selected for the main competition of the Sarajevo Film Festival.
“These exciting and timely awards are closely connected to the changes shaping both the film industry and our world,” Locarno Film Festival artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro said. “Whether it is the Romania of You Don’t Belong Here, the Brazil of The Riverbank, or the South Korea of Nowhere to Lay My Eyes, the jury highlighted the importance of cinematic form and language while also honoring works capable of reaching a broad audience.”
The Special Jury Prize at Locarno went to The Riverbank (A Margem do Rio) by Matheus Farias and Enock Carvalho. Meanwhile, Hong Sangsoo received the Pardo for Best Direction for Nowhere to Lay My Eyes. The complete list of winners can be found here.
The 80th Locarno Film Festival is scheduled to take place from August 4 to 14, 2027.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
