BOX
by Florin Șerban
Under the pretext of a love story, BOX unfolds a coming-of-age narrative. RAFAEL and CRISTINA are two people that were never supposed to meet. He is 19, Gypsy, works in a car-wash and wants to make it big as a boxer; he lives with his grandfather, and he is about to have a breakthorugh as an athlete. She is 34, Hungarian, actress in the local theater, married, and goes through a professional and personal crisis; her husband is the star of the theater ensemble and it seems that she has been living in his shadow for a while.
Without knowing each other, Rafael follows Cristina every day, on the cobblestone streets of an old provincial town. She knows it and enjoys the attention. One time, she turns back and they face each other. The following day, he looks her in the eyes and asks: "If you had't been married, would you have married me?" From that moment on, there is no way back for neither of them.
Two different destinies, two different worlds facing different dilemas. Despite their ages, Rafael and Cristina share the same desperate need to prove themselves. In their own way, with blood and tears on one side, deep silences and discreet smiles on the other, Rafael and Cristina will learn to deal with adulthood and compromise.
Florin Șerban was born in 1975, in Romania. He studied and taught at Columbia University in New York and holds a Master Degree in Film Directing Summa Cum Laude. He also graduated from the Romanian National University of Theater and Film, in 2002. He holds a BA in Philosophy and MA in the Philosophy of Culture and Hermeneutics.
During his studies, he wrote and directed short films and documentaries, and won numerous scholar awards and scholarships. With his directorial debut in feature film If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle, Florin Șerban received the Silver Bear - Grand Prize of the Jury and the Alfred Bauer Award for innovation in cinema at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival. The film also received many other best film and best director awards.
His second feature film project is Box (2015). A strange love story, between Rafael a 19 years old Gypsy boxer, and Cristina, a 34 years old married actress.
Florin is now working on his third feature film, America, whose script recently won the support of the Romanian CNC. Also, Florin Șerban is the director and coordinating professor at The Acting School in Bucharest, Romania.
Cristina - Hilda Peter
Rafael - Rafael Florea
written and directed by Florin Șerban
cinematography by Marius Panduru r.s.c.
edited by Eugen Kelemen
sound editing by André Rigaut
set design by Mihaela Poenaru
costume design by Augustina Stanciu
produced by Florin Șerban
co-produced by Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo, Juliette Lepoutre, Marie-Pierre Macia