Romanian film 'You don't belong here' wins Golden Pardo at Locarno

The 79th Locarno Film Festival has awarded its prestigious Golden Pardo to "You don't belong here (Nu e locul tau aici)," directed by Romania's Florin Șerban. This marks Șerban's return to feature filmmaking with a drama focusing on the complex relationship between a father and son.

The international jury lauded the film, citing "the strength of its screenplay, the singularity of its vision, and the extraordinary mastery of cinematic language" as reasons for the top prize. This recognition highlights the film's artistic merit and Șerban's directorial prowess.

Other accolades at the festival included the Special Jury Prize, which went to "The Riverbank (A Margem do Rio)" by Brazilian directors Matheus Farias and Enock Carvalho. Hong Sangsoo received the Best Director award for "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes (Nun Dul Dega Eomne)."

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for the strength of its screenplay, the singularity of its vision and the extraordinary mastery of cinematic language

Performance awards were also presented: Kim Minhee won for her role in "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes," and Monica Bellucci was honored for her performance in Giovanni Tortorici's "Ketticè." The Golden Pardo for the Cineasti del Presente competition and the Swatch First Feature Award were both secured by Alessandra Sanguinetti for "The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer (La ilusión de un verano sin fin)."

Giona A. Nazzaro, the festival's artistic director, described the awards as reflecting a "vital and contemporary" selection, deeply connected to current industry and global transformations. He emphasized the jury's focus on formal and linguistic excellence while choosing films with broad audience appeal, evidenced by the full and engaged theaters throughout the festival.

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a vital and contemporary palmarès, in close dialogue with the transformations of the industry and our world today. Whether it's highlighting 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 never gave up the primacy of form and language, while choosing to reward films capable of speaking to a wide audience, as demonstrated by the full and participatory theaters of all the competitions, throughout the entire Festival.