Fjord by Romanian director Cristian Mungiu wins Cannes’ top prize

Romanian director Cristian Mungiu has secured his second Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his drama "Fjord." The film, which is set in Norway, delves into the complexities of clashing cultures and the deep divisions between conservative and progressive ideologies.

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You need to double-check your beliefs every now and then and make sure that if somebody doesn’t share the same views as you do, it doesn’t mean that he’s right or that you’re right.

Jury president Park Chan-wook lauded the film for its "artistically magnificent" portrayal of understanding diverse viewpoints. "Fjord" stars Sebastian Stan as a Romanian IT specialist who relocates his family of seven to the Norwegian village where his wife, played by Renate Reinsve, was born. The narrative takes a sharp turn when cultural differences, particularly concerning child-rearing practices, attract the attention of child-protection services, mirroring broader societal conflicts.

Mungiu, now part of an elite group of directors with multiple Palme d'Or wins after his 2007 victory for "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days," described his film as an appeal for tolerance, inclusion, and empathy. He emphasized the importance of self-reflection regarding one's beliefs, suggesting that differing views do not automatically render one person right and another wrong.

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in an artistically magnificent manner

In a separate moment, Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev, accepting the Grand Prix for his film "Minotaur," used the platform to call on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Zvyagintsev, who has been living in exile in France, stated that he "simply couldn't not say it," highlighting the significance of Cannes as a global stage for such appeals.

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I simply couldn’t not say it