BELLa
Directed by Florin Catana
Romania · 2026 · 7 min 1 sec · Drama
Submitted to RTV International Film Festival 2026Synopsis
In a remote village where the ringing of a bell carries the weight of generations, a family is bound to an ancient tradition of bell-ringing. When tragedy strikes the community, faith, tradition, and family bonds are put to the test, forcing a young girl to discover the true meaning of the bell.
Credits
Directed by Florin Catana
About the film
Once upon a time, in a medieval village, the craft of the bell ringer was passed from father to son. But when the bell ringer’s twenty-one-year-old son refuses to follow tradition and leaves for the city, his fourteen-year-old daughter is left behind. She wants to continue her father’s craft, but the village priest and mayor refuse to accept her. “It is a man’s job.” Months later, a devastating flood puts the priest’s life in danger. The bell ringer is unable to sound the alarm after stepping on a nail, leaving his daughter as the only person who can call for help. She knows she has been forbidden from ringing the bell. But when lives are at stake, she must choose between obeying an unjust tradition and doing what she knows is right. Her decision brings the entire community together—and forces those who once excluded her to confront their own prejudice. A story about discrimination, courage, tradition, and the simple truth that if we are all equal before God, then we should strive to be equal on Earth as well.
Director(s)
Florin Catana is a Romanian filmmaker and visual storyteller with a background in education and a passion for cinema, photography, and emerging visual technologies. His work explores human stories, traditions, emotions, and the relationship between people and their communities. He wrote and directed BELLa, a short film inspired by tradition, family, faith, and the enduring power of human connection. The film combines cinematic storytelling with AI-assisted visual production, while aiming to preserve a realistic and emotionally grounded cinematic style. BELLa marks an important step in his development as an independent filmmaker, with the film being submitted to international film festivals.
Film stills
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RTV International Film Festival — Inaugural Online Edition · 2026