The Atlas of the Universe, the Romanian film for children that premiered at the Berlin Festival
“Atlas of the Universe”, signed by Paul Negoescu, will premiere at the Berlinale, in the Generation Kplus section. It is the first Romanian film ever selected for the section dedicated to children and young people of the prestigious festival. The story follows the adventures of a ten-year-old boy, on a journey full of courage and friendship.
Matei Donciu plays the main role in “Atlas of the Universe”
Atlas of the Universe, Romanian film for children directed by Paul Negoescu
The production is made by the Romanian Film company, in co-production with partners from Bulgaria, and brings to the big screens a captivating story for the young audience, about friendship, discovery and courage. Viewers will join Filip, a 10-year-old boy from an isolated village, who, after mistakenly buying two shoes for his right foot, sets out on a journey to find the left one. What awaits him? An adventure in a world on the border between reality and magic, but also the chance to discover things about him and the universe he is part of.
It is the first feature film for children by the director Paul Negoescu, known for films such as “Incă two lozuri”, “Oameni de treabă” or “Povestea unui pierde-văra”. The script is written by Negoescu together with Mihai Mincan, the director and screenwriter behind the film “Dinți de lacte”, presented at the Venice Film Festival.
The main role is played by Matei Donciu, an 11-year-old child on his first cinematic experience. The cast also includes the actors Marin Grigore, Andreea Grămoșteanu, Andrei Mateiu, along with the children Johanna Mild, Călin Petru, Sofia Marinescu and many others.
The premiere takes place at the Berlin Film Festival
The world premiere of the film “Atlas of the Universe” will take place during the 76th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), scheduled between February 12 and 22, 2026. Paul Negoescu's film is one of the seven international titles selected in the section's competition Berlinale Generation, dedicated to films for children and young people. The big prize of the section is The Crystal Bear.
“I'm happy about the selection in the Generation section of the Berlin festival because it's about the maximum I could get with a film about children. Films like this don't really make it into the competitions of the big festivals, and there aren't many other big festivals that have sections of films for children anymore. Such a selection is particularly important because it opens the door for the film to an international market”director Paul Negoescu said in a press release.
