“Had me on the edge of my seat until the credits rolled.”—Radhika Seth, Vogue
Mihai (Sebastian Stan), a digital technician, and his wife Lisbet (Renate Reinsve) move from his country, Romanis, to raise their five children in her remote hometown in Norway. Quickly, however, the family’s devotion to fundamentalist Christian beliefs leads them first into conflict, and then into legal peril, with liberal school authorities.
This achingly beautiful, painfully relevant drama by Oscar-winning writer-director Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days) follows the couple’s increasing anguished confusion as they become enmeshed in accusations and punitive procedures they barely comprehend. As the stakes grow higher, Mia, their next-door neighbor, reluctantly agrees to defend them in court.
Fjord, awarded the Cannes Palme d’Or (the second win for Mungiu), provides a meticulous, subtle, and ironic study of how ideological extremes, misconceptions, and systematic contradictions can tear a community apart. Romania’s submission for consideration for the Best International Film Oscar. 2026, Romania/France/Norway/Sweden/Denmark, DCP, in Norwegian, Romanian, and English with English subtitles, 146 minutes. Recommended for 16+