You Don't Belong Here () is a 2026 Romanian drama film written, directed and produced by Florin Șerban. Starring Adrian Văncică as Marius Călimanescu, it follows a Romanian widow father who must face his son's alleged involvement in a murder in their small town.
The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 79th Locarno Film Festival on 9 August 2026, where it won the Golden Leopard.
Synopsis Marius is the head doctor at a hospital in his small hometown. He is raising his teenage son, Ioan, by himself after his wife passed away. Marius is confident in his work, but he has no idea that Ioan secretly goes out at night with a group of masked boys who ride around town and damage cars. Everything changes for Marius when he finds out that the police now think his son might be involved in a murder.
Cast Adrian Văncică as Marius Călimanescu Teodor Butănescu as Ioan Călimănescu Cristina Richter as Dana Alex Conovaru as Silviu Obădău Izdrailă Janir as Giani Feraru
Production
The film was shot for 25 days in November and December 2025 in Bucharest and Reșița.
Release
You Don't Belong Here had its world premiere at the 79th Locarno Film Festival on 9 August 2026, where it won the Golden Leopard. Subsequently it had its Regional Premiere at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival, where it competed for Heart of Sarajevo award in the Competition Programme - Feature Film on 20 August 2026.
It will also be showcased in the 'International Panorama' section of the 2026 Festival du nouveau cinéma on 10 October, In November, it will have its Spanish premiere at the 23rd Seville European Film Festival.
United Kingdom based sales company Reason8 has acquired the international sales right before its premiere at Locarno.
Reception
Stéphanie Linda Maserin of Close-up: Stories of Vision at the Locarno Film Festival awarded the film three out of four stars. She described the film as "a powerful investigation into the responsibility of one generation towards the next," while suggesting that it may also examine the "definitive decline of the patriarchal model." Maserin praised the film's fluid pacing despite its nearly three-hour runtime, noting that most scenes were filmed in a single take. She also observed that the film leaves viewers with "weighty, problematic open questions."
Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient Result Locarno Film Festival15 August 2026 Golden Leopard You Don't Belong Here Special Performance Mentions Teodor Butănescu Europa Cinemas Label You Don't Belong Here Sarajevo Film Festival 21 August 2026 Heart of Sarajevo
References
External links
You Don't Belong Here at Locarno Film Festival