Mihai (Sebastian Stan), a Romanian immigrant and Christian fundamentalist, and his Norwegian wife, Lisbet (Renate Reinsve), move to a small fjord village in western Norway with their five children. One day, after a teacher discovers bruises on their eldest daughter’s body, Child Welfare Services place all five children into foster care. Inspired by the real-life 2015 Bodnariu case, director Cristian Mungiu refuses to reduce this tragedy to a simplistic dichotomy of good versus evil. Without rushing to declare the parents’ guilt or innocence, he calmly observes them becoming ensnared in a Kafkaesque trap, sharply capturing the clash between a progressive system and traditional values through his signature intellectual gaze. Backed by masterful direction of long takes and dialogue, Mungiu crafts a socio-legal thriller that shakes even the audience’s own convictions. Fjord quietly yet relentlessly reminds us that understanding others ultimately begins with the effort to listen to their voices.
Cristian Mungiu was born on 27 April 1968 in Iasi, Romania. He is a producer and writer, known for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007), Beyond the Hills (2012) and Graduation (2016).
From Tokyo International Film Festival 2026, No. 39
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