‘I Matter’ Venice Review: A Romani Teen Faces Life Beyond the Orphanage

Inspired by the director’s own life, I Matter follows Rebeca, a young Romani woman who has spent the last seven years living in an orphanage while her father serves a prison sentence. As she approaches her 18th birthday, she faces the prospect of leaving the only home she’s ever really known. Although the idea terrifies her, she assumes she’ll simply move in with her father once he’s released. Things, however, prove far more complicated, and the film chronicles Rebeca’s journey —an emotional one more than a physical one— as she prepares to face the world on her own.

Kind-hearted, cheerful and gifted as a performer, singer and dancer, Rebeca genuinely enjoys life at the orphanage. Despite the occasional hardship, it’s the closest thing she’s has ever had to a family. But the rules are clear: once residents turn 18, they have to leave. For many, that means ending up on the streets, something Rebeca is determined to avoid. As her father’s release is repeatedly delayed, another possibility emerges. If she’s accepted into university, the law will allow her to remain at the orphanage until she completes her studies. That path, however, comes with its own obstacles.

I Matter approaches Rebeca’s struggles with warmth and an engaging, accessible touch. It explores everything from the discrimination she faces as a Romani woman to the more immediate challenges of her situation: a complicated romance, friends getting into trouble, and constant financial insecurity. Her father turns out to be far less dependable than she’d imagined, while pursuing higher education proves more difficult than expected. But beneath those practical concerns lies a deeper sense of displacement. Rebeca exists in a kind of limbo, uncertain of where she belongs or who she is becoming. Perhaps moving forward doesn’t require leaving her roots behind, but learning to embrace them as part of discovering herself.

The debut feature from the Romanian filmmaker of Romani heritage feels closer in style to an accessible commercial coming-of-age drama than to the austere Romanian films that typically circulate on the festival circuit. With musical interludes, touches of comedy and an ensemble of thoroughly likable characters, it’s a crowd-pleasing story of resilience, following a young woman who confronts every setback without (almost) ever giving up. At the same time, the film places members of Europe’s largest ethnic minority at its center while steering clear of familiar stereotypes, offering a more nuanced glimpse into Romani life and culture.

Leading actress Denisa Farcaș gives Rebeca an effortless charisma that carries much of the film. Part of its appeal also comes from the other children in the orphanage, most of whom are not played by professional actors but by real youngsters living in similar institutions. In fact, I Matter‘s most affecting moment arrives during the closing credits, when behind-the-scenes footage shows the cast celebrating the end of the shoot. That brief sequence contains more genuine emotion and truth than much of the carefully constructed drama that precedes it. The film is solid and well-intentioned, but it’s in that spontaneous farewell that it becomes truly moving.