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🇸🇰 Slovakia /Culture & Society

Golden Palm winner 'Fjord' took a risk by filming about Norway's social services, director says

From SME · () Slovak

Translated from Slovak and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Romanian director Cristian Mungiu won the Golden Palm at Cannes for his film 'Fjord,' which explores themes of societal values and empathy.
  • The film tells the story of a Romanian-Norwegian family whose integration into Norwegian society is disrupted when social services intervene after their daughter is found with injuries.
  • Mungiu stated the film takes a risk by addressing topics people are afraid to discuss openly, suggesting that a lack of empathy and tolerance exists on both sides of societal debates.

Romanian director Cristian Mungiu won the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival for his latest film, 'Fjord.' Mungiu's work, which he described as a risk to say what people "don't dare to say out loud today," delves into the complexities of societal values and the methods used to promote them.

The film centers on a Romanian-Norwegian family with five children who move to Norway after the husband's parents die, seeking a more practical life. Their integration into Norwegian society quickly unravels when social services intervene. The authorities are alerted after a teacher notices injuries on the eldest daughter, leading to the swift removal of all the children and bleak prospects for the parents.

For several years now, we've been watching activist films trying to push for the right cause, our values. I think the time has come to start doubting a little. Especially about how we promote those values.

· Cristian MungiuExplaining his motivation for making the film 'Fjord' and its themes.

'Fjord' further reveals that the family prohibits everything except reading the Bible, believing that a righteous life is only possible through traditional values. This situation highlights a conflict with Norwegian social services, who interpret the children's injuries as evidence of physical punishment.

Mungiu, known for exploring themes of fear of change and resistance to the unknown in his previous films, including "Beyond the Hills" which addressed religious fanaticism, stated that this time he wanted to show that "the other side" also suffers from radicalism and a lack of tolerance or empathy. The film appears to question the absolute certainty of those who believe they hold the truth, suggesting that a deficit in empathy is not confined to one group.

The risk of saying what people don't dare to say out loud today.

· Cristian MungiuDescribing the nature of his award-winning film 'Fjord'.
About this summary

Originally published by SME in Slovak. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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