Romanian director Cristian Mungiu returns to the Cannes Film Festival main competition with Fjord, his latest feature and first English-language production.
The 79th edition of Cannes takes place from May 12 to 23. Around 2,500 films were submitted for selection in total.
The selection marks Mungiu’s fifth consecutive film at Cannes, reaffirming his status as one of Europe’s most consistent filmmakers. Fjord is considered a frontrunner along with FJapan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda with AI-themed “Sheep in the Box” and Russian auteur Andrey Zvyagintsev, whose film “Minotaur” focuses on wealthy Russians confronted with conscription.
Mungiu emphasized the collective nature of the project:
“Fjord is, more than ever in my career, the result of a collective effort, an extensive co-production and an international cast working together in the most supportive way possible. It was a joy to collaborate with a remarkable group of actors, including Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve.”
“I thank them all for following me, so generously, in my way of making films. The most beautiful gift for our efforts is this selection at Cannes, the place where cinema is respected, appreciated, and anticipated like nowhere else in the world.”
Fjord is his first English-language film and also the first Romanian directed film for Romanian born American actor Sebastian Stan. it was shot in Norway in spring 2025, and has a multilingual cast speaking English, Norwegian, Swedish, and Romanian.
The story follows Lisbet and Mihai Gheorghiu, a Romanian-Norwegian couple who relocate to a remote Norwegian fjord village, where they befriend the Halberg family, their neighbors.
As their children become friends, differences in upbringing and values begin to surface, gradually testing the limits of friendship and coexistence. Sebastian Stan plays Mihai, a Romanian father whose beliefs about family life and education are challenged, while Renate Reinsve portrays Lisbet, a Norwegian mother navigating life between cultures and searching for what is best for her children.
The movie is co-produced by Mungiu and Tudor Reu through Mobra Films. The production involves partners from France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland and is supported by institutions such as CNC and Creative Europe MEDIA.
