Romanian director Cristian Mungiu scoops Palme d’Or
Director Cristian Mungiu’s film "Fjord" will be supported by the Romanian state to attend the Academy Awards after the production has reaped the Palme d’Or in Cannes
Sorin Iordan, 25.05.2026, 14:00
The feature film “Fjord”, directed by Romanian Cristian Mungiu, won Palme d’Or at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. Mungiu has thus joined the exclusivist group of film-makers to have won the prize twice, after the success it obtained in 2007 with his production ‘4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days’. Only 10 directors have obtained this performance, among whom some of the leading names of the world cinematography, such as Francis Ford Coppola, Emir Kusturica, brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne or Shōhei Imamura. “Fjord” is Cristian Mungiu’s first film in English, for which he has also signed the screenplay. The film tells the story of a family with a Romanian father a Norwegian mother and five children who settled in an isolated village in Norway. The two practicing evangelical parents start to create suspicions regarding the too strict education they are providing to the minors so the authorities take their children and place them in foster care. The film casts the US actor of Romanian descent, Sebastian Stan, and the Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve. Upon his comeback to Romania, Mungiu says Fjord will be promoted and supported to participate in the Academy Awards in the USA.
Cristian Mungiu: “This is a film involving a certain type of courage to make and also to take and this Palme d’Or is going to help it very much to be discovered and have a life of its own. What makes my happy is that for the first time we are going to stand some chances to the Oscars. I cannot promise anything but that we are going to have a campaign this time and hope it will be backed not only by the American distributor but also by us as much as possible with our means in Romania and hope that the film’s life may expand at least until March next year and get nominated there. Not because these awards are more important but because perception in Romania attaches more importance to those awards than to this one, which is more suitable for the film.”
Romania’s interim Culture Minister, Demeter András, announced that “Fjord” has been included on the list of the strategic cultural projects to be able to benefit from the funds allotted to the international campaign aimed at supporting the film for the Oscars.
The success in Cannes has even been praised by Romania’s President. In a message of congratulation, Nicusor Dan, says that he appreciates Mungiu’s works, because ‘they ask questions and are going the thin line between two, or several sets of values, in conflict.” He added that the Romanian contemporary film is an excellent business card for Romania.” Congratulation messages also came from the Republic of Moldova whose President, Maia Sandu says: “Mungiu’s films are, before everything, debates on the values defining us as society.”
At Cannes, “Fjord” has also been awarded the International Film Critics Award, the Citizenship Award given to productions that best convey democratic values, human rights and social cohesion, the Ecumenical Jury Prize and the “François Chalais” prize awarded to productions that reflect the values of journalism.
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