The latest feature film signed by Cristian Mungiu, entitled Fjord, has been selected in the official competition of the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, where it will compete for the prestigious Palme d’Or trophy.
The production stars Oscar-nominated actors Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve and represents a new presence for Romanian cinema at the most important film festival in the world.
“The best gift we could receive for our efforts is this selection at Cannes, the place where cinema is respected, appreciated and expected like nowhere else in the world.” said Cristian Mungiu, according to a Mobra Films press release sent to Agerpres on Thursday.
Romania has so far only won the Palme d’Or once, in 2007, through Mungiu’s film, “4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days.”
Mungiu’s first English-language film
Fjord is the first English-language film directed by Cristian Mungiu and, at the same time, the first major Romanian project starring Sebastian Stan. Filming took place in the spring of 2025, in Norway, and the cast is international, with dialogue in English, Norwegian, Swedish and Romanian.
The story follows a couple, Lisbet and Mihai Gheorghiu, who move to an isolated village in a Norwegian fjord. The relations between the two families – theirs and the neighbors’ – become more and more tense, against the background of the differences in values and views on education and family life.
Sebastian Stan plays a father whose beliefs are put to the test, while Renate Reinsve plays a mother caught between two cultures, searching for the best decisions for her children.
Team Statements
Director Cristian Mungiu described the film as the result of an extensive collective effort and international collaboration.
For his part, Sebastian Stan declared that the project represents a wish fulfilled: “To work together with a renowned filmmaker like Cristian Mungiu on a Romanian story, in a Romanian co-production and with a team including many Romanians, it was a great joy for me and the fulfillment of a wish I had for years. I can’t wait to share this film with the discerning audiences at Cannes and around the world.”
Renate Reinsve described the filming experience as “one of the greatest” from his career.
International distribution and Romanian team
The cast of the film also includes international actors such as Lisa Loven and Lisa Carlehed, but also well-known names from Romania, including Adrian Titieni, Ana Bodea, Alin Panc or Giulia Nahmany.
The technical team includes acclaimed professionals, including cinematographer Tudor Panduru and editor Mircea Olteanu.
Fjord is Cristian Mungiu’s fifth consecutive film selected in the official Cannes competition, after RMN (2022), Baccalaureate (2016), După dealuri (2012) and the film awarded with the Palme d’Or in 2007.
This year’s edition of the Cannes Film Festival will take place between May 12 and 23, and in the official competition only 22 films were selected from over 2,900 entries.
The new feature already has international distribution in over 50 territories and is set to be released in the United States by Neon, known for promoting several recent Palme d’Or and Oscar-winning films.
