Cristian Mungiu wins second Palme d’Or with Fjord, a gripping drama on family, faith, and social tension

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Culture 24-05-2026 | 10:01

Cristian Mungiu wins second Palme d’Or with Fjord, a gripping drama on family, faith, and social tension

Cristian Mungiu won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Festival two decades ago.
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Cristian Mungiu wins second Palme d’Or with Fjord, a gripping drama on family, faith, and social tension
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The Romanian director Cristian Mungiu has joined the select group of filmmakers who have won the Palme d'Or twice, a list that includes nine other prominent directors such as Francis Ford Coppola and Ruben Östlund. Mungiu earned his first Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and tonight he was awarded the Palme d'Or for Fjord.

 

 

The acclaimed director said, “I want to enjoy the present moment, let me keep it to myself. The first time is a shock and a surprise, but after that it becomes a pleasure. Everyone always remembers the second time. This evening will be etched in my memory. This award makes me happy, but you have to wait twenty years to see which film was truly the best.”

 

 

Scottish actress Tilda Swinton greets Cristian Mungiu. (AFP)
Scottish actress Tilda Swinton greets Cristian Mungiu. (AFP)

 

 

Mungiu added, “The state of the world today is not in its best condition, and I am not very proud of what we are leaving to our children. Change must start with us. We need to talk about fundamental issues within our reach. We have taken the risk of raising our voices. What I feel today is an increase in extremism and the fragmentation of society. This film is a stance against all forms of extremism and a defense of the empathy that we need to practice more.”

 

What is the story of the winning film at Cannes?

The film Fjord follows a deeply religious Romanian-Norwegian couple, the Georgius, who move to a village at the end of a fjord and quickly form a friendship with their neighbors, the Halbergs.

The children of both families become close despite differences in upbringing. However, when the educational staff discovers bruises on the body of the eldest daughter of the Georgiu family and informs social services, doubts begin to arise within the community about whether the traditional upbringing the children receive from their parents is the cause.

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Cristian Mungiu ، Cannes Film Festival ، Cinema ، Culture ، Palme d'Or ، Fjord