Fjord is written and directed by Romanian Palme d'Or winner Cristian Mungiu, but is set in Norway. The story is inspired by real cases involving a religious set of life and the Norwegian child welfare services.
The premise follows a deeply religious family with a Romanian father (Sebastian Stan) and a Norwegian mother (Renate Reinsve) who move from Romania to a small community on Norway's west coast. They quickly become involved with the local church and are warmly welcomed by their neighbors. Everything seems to be going well for the family until the school suspects that the parents use corporal punishment on their children and immediately alerts the child welfare authorities. The film spins on this culture clash: conservative religious values versus the liberal, secular Norwegian State.
The ecumenical jury’s choice was based on the film’s strong artistic quality, particularly regarding the script, strong imagery, and for how the film managed to look at one situation from many various perspectives through the rich variety of characters. Fjord does not provide any answer, rather quite the contrary, it raises an abundance of questions, it even gets you to question your own convictions. Thus, Fjord is a thought-provoking film that leaves a lasting impression and sparks meaningful conversations and reflections.
It is truly quite special and profound coming to Cannes as President of the Ecumenical Jury, ending up awarding a film that is shot right across the fjord where I live and in my hometown. Fjord will premiere in Norway in early September. For the Norwegian eye the film does appear a bit exaggerated, to a point of even being comical, the caricature-like brushstrokes sometimes become too broad on both sides of the culture clash. Yet at the same time, this tool, and the project it serves on the screen, is appreciated.
In Norway the press loves to highlight that this film is a critique about the Norwegian child protective service. Yes, indeed it is, but that being the sole focus limits this film and its project. As a Norwegian I welcome the critique, indeed, at the same time the film is so much more, and I am very excited for the discussions after the film premieres here in Norway. There was one line delivered repeatedly throughout the film from both sides: “We only want what’s best for the child”. Each time it was delivered with more and more intensity, and I couldn’t help but picture the new statue raised in London by Banksy, of the person marching firmly with their conviction raised as a flag, only for the flag to blind their view.
The film pointedly illustrates how both sides speak about and to each other, rather than communicating with each other. The jury admires Cristian Mungiu's decision not to tell the audience who is "right" in the cultural and ideological conflict, but rather exposing the gap between competing value systems, and how the film examines the delicate dynamics of modern democracy in a nuanced way. The jury believes that the film powerfully warns against ideological extremism and any form of violence (physical, emotional and spiritual) toward the most vulnerable, while exploring the tensions between differing beliefs with great artistic merit.
“I believe this is why cinema was invented. And we try to use it in that way to better understand, to find solutions, to make films that are not always polite. I think it’s good to have doubts, because today we are surrounded by people who are deeply convinced that truth belongs to them. As for me, I always have doubts about cinema and about the society around us. And with this film, I am very happy to have succeeded in telling a story. I believe it is a story that speaks about all of us today, in a society that is deeply divided and radicalized. I hope we still have a shared thirst for the future. But for that, we must begin with small efforts, I think.” (Cristian Mungiu, Cannes, May 18th, 2026)