Fjord director Cristian Mungiu crafted a film without villains to spark conversation

Cristian Mungiu's film Fjord, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and is Romania's Oscar submission, is designed to avoid taking sides. The story follows a deeply Christian Romanian family living in Norway that comes into conflict with the local child-care system, which interprets their parenting as potentially abusive. Mungiu said he crafted the story so every audience member would come out thinking he meant to villainize someone else. He said the point is to trigger a conversation about modern society and the importance of listening to opposing arguments. "If I had taken sides in the film, the other party wouldn't have watched the film like this," Mungiu said.

Star Sebastian Stan, who plays the family's father, said he was drawn to work with directors like Mungiu who have a fearless attitude toward getting to the truth without judgment. "Especially now, when everybody just wants to be spoonfed how to feel, what to think and all that stuff," Stan said. He said life and people are complicated, and he finds it interesting when films are not afraid to show that complexity. Mungiu said cinema should be as complex as life, and that spectators need to make an effort to understand the film and consider their own values.

Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve, who plays the mother, Lisbet, said Mungiu's directing style required her to strip away emotion and not lead the audience to any opinion about her character. She said this was a challenge, as she was used to giving audiences just enough to connect. She found an image to guide her performance, thinking of how people react when driving past an accident. "In one second, you know how severe it is, because you see how the people move from a distance," Reinsve said. She said her character's husband often speaks for her, and she had to find a way to portray that dynamic with compassion and without judgment.

READ MORE: New Sense and Sensibility film focuses on sisterhood and financial insecurity

READ MORE: New Lord of the Flies adaptation returns to British schoolboys in 1950s

Reinsve described Mungiu's meticulous shooting process, where he builds the poetry of the image slowly over many takes. She recalled a difficult first day filming a 12-minute scene where her character is told her children will be taken away. "I gave it my all for the first three takes, and then we kept on going for 17 takes while he built it," she said. She learned to watch for his subtle cues, like when he rubs his hands, to know when he was happy with the setup. Reinsve said she had to throw everything she knew out the window and adapt to his specific focus on rhythm and movement.

Mungiu said he cast Stan, known for his Marvel roles, because he saw beyond the superhero persona and wanted to take the actor to the edge. He wanted people to see a different character, both in how Stan embodied a very religious person and in his altered physical appearance. "The more distant he looks from his regular self, the more the people are going to see the character," Mungiu said. He acknowledged that Stan's name helped finance the film, but said it was important not to exploit his good looks and instead focus on his talents.

The film is set for a theatrical release in North America this autumn. Distributor Neon has scheduled a platform launch on October 9, 2026, followed by an expansive nationwide rollout on October 23. This timeline is designed to build word-of-mouth appeal during the fall awards season. The film's provocative subject matter has already sparked debates in Europe about domestic privacy and state welfare. For home viewers, the film is expected to become available for digital purchase or rental on platforms like Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video in late December 2026. It will later stream on Hulu in the United States, likely between late February and mid-March 2027, following Neon's established distribution pattern. The film's release strategy aims to maintain its prestige profile through the Oscars, where it is Romania's submission for Best International Feature Film.

With files from CBC News, Deadline and Comic Basics