Alice On & Off

Isabela Tent

Filmed over ten years, this is the story of Alice, an unloved girl trapped in a young mother's life. At 16, she falls in love with Dorian, 35 years her senior. Although she marries him and has their son, Aristo, the familiar echoes of her own neglected childhood resurface. Alice struggles in a family dynamic where she's solely responsible for providing – for the child, for Dorian – resorting to live-chat sex work, leaving her own needs behind. She is forced to give up her studies at the Fine Arts University, leaves her family and sees her son only occasionally, all the while battling a substance addiction. An unflinching portrait of the replication of trauma across generations as Alice struggles to maintain a presence in her son's life, follow her dreams, and find herself.

Romania 2024, '86

DIRECTOR: Isabela Tent

Isabela Tent

Isabela Von Tent's filmmaking journey began after she studied film directing and journalism. She initially served as an assistant director on both national and international productions, collaborating with renowned Romanian filmmakers like Radu Jude and Tudor Giurgiu. These experiences provided invaluable training, but it was Isabela's unique perspective on reality and her passion for storytelling that drew her to documentary filmmaking.
Her debut in this genre, a short documentary, garnered the prestigious Romanian National Film Award. Driven by a desire to explore non-classical approaches to documentary storytelling, Isabela embarked on her first feature film. Shot over a span of ten years, this ambitious project led Isabela to participate in influential international training programs like Docu Rough Cut Boutique, ExOriente, and ZagrebDox Pro. Her filmography includes All the Names that Start with C (2016), Chat with Alice (2015), Alice (2014) and Alice On & Off (2024).

Alice On & Off

Isabela Tent

Isabela Tent

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