Still waters run deep: why Palme d'or winner 'Fjord' questions our certainties

The story follows the Gheorghiu family, who settle in a remote Norwegian fjord after arriving from Romania, where the father, played by Sebastian Stan, has found work as an IT technician.

His Norwegian wife, played by Renate Reinsve, grew up in the village and is raising their five children, who range in age from a baby to teenagers.

As the children settle into school and learn the language, the family becomes friendly with their neighbours, the Halbergs. But the Gheorghius remain outsiders because of their evangelical faith, regular prayers and refusal to let their children watch YouTube or play video games.

Child welfare investigation

The situation changes when a sports teacher notices bruises on the neck of the eldest Gheorghiu daughter and reports it to school management. Child welfare services quickly intervene and open an investigation into possible child abuse.

As the story unfolds, events are shown through the eyes of different characters, with the same incident sometimes described in very different ways. Questions emerge over who is telling the truth and who may be hiding something.

Rumours and gossip soon begin to threaten the stable lives the villagers work hard to maintain.

The idea came from news reports Mungiu read several years ago about families losing custody of their children after allegations of domestic violence.

Over time, he came across similar stories, many of them in Norway, and researched the lives of the people involved. Their experiences became the foundation of the film.

"I believe society has become radicalised – in the sense that it has become very difficult to share a society with others, because we no longer hold the same views on the future or on how to raise children," Mungiu told RFI's Lisa Giroldini.

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The film shows how child welfare services in Norway can remove children from their parents' care immediately when abuse is suspected.

"It's important not to pass judgment myself; I want to leave that to the viewer and put the responsibility on them," Mungiu said.

He stressed that he did not set out to make a film that "champions a specific ideology" but instead wanted to question what people accept as truth. Romanian film director Cristian Mungiu (centre) at the UCG Les Halles cinema in Paris for the avant-premiere of his film "Fjord" which won the Palme d'or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. Paris, 18 August 2026.

Beneath the surface

"Ultimately, what matters isn't finding someone to blame for the situation depicted in the film, but understanding your own perspective on society in real life. The film serves as a starting point to encourage you to reflect on today's society and your own stance within it," Mungiu said.

The Norwegian setting was important because it helped shape the story's different layers. While people appear friendly and polite on the surface, deeper tensions remain hidden.

"It's a kind of apparent calm – like what you find in a fjord, in that sort of still water. But beneath the surface, there is a great deal going on. There are many conflicts and many opinions being voiced, and the moment eventually comes when it all breaks open," he said. Director Cristian Mungiu, Palme d'Or award winner for the film "Fjord", next to cast members Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan and Tilda Swinton, on stage during the closing ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, 23 May 2026.

Mungiu was delighted to work with Stan, whom he described as the only American actor he knows who speaks fluent Romanian and understands the cultural issues at the centre of the story.

As Mihai Gheorghiu, Stan portrays a man who follows the rules, seeks legal advice and allows the legal process to take its course, while recognising the imbalance of power he faces.

Reinsve, who plays Lisbet Gheorghiu, brings what Mungiu described as "a unique sensitivity and a kind of intensity" to the role.

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By the end of the film, the couple face decisions that challenge their beliefs and force viewers to consider how they would respond in the same situation.

"You get these avalanches of emotion; after all, living in a society that prizes politeness and respect for others doesn't mean you don't have opinions about people – it just means you maintain a polite exterior," Mungiu said.

The director said cinema allows him to challenge social conventions and encourage open discussion.

"I am not polite. I use cinema to argue that we need to fight against these social niceties and the political correctness that stops us from speaking our minds," he said.

Mungiu met French audiences at the Paris premiere on Tuesday as part of a promotional tour that will also take him to Switzerland, Norway and the United States, where he hopes the film will encourage debate.

Fjord, released in French cinemas on 19 August, is Mungiu's second Palme d'Or after 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days won the prize in 2007.