Fjord, the Palme d'Or-winning drama starring Sebastian Stan, is now showing in UK and Irish cinemas after its Cannes triumph.
The film won the prestigious prize at the Cannes Film Festival in May, delivering the first double-digit standing ovation of the festival with a reported 12 minutes of applause. Its win was a quieter type of success compared to other Cannes favourites, though director Cristian Mungiu is a previous multi-award-winner at the festival.
A subtle story of family and suspicion
Stan and fellow Oscar-nominee Renate Reinsve play Mihai and Lisbet Gheorghiu, a Romanian and Norwegian couple and conservative Christians who move with their five children to the mother's birthplace, a remote and liberal village in Norway. Stan appears balding and speaks his native Romanian, delivering a convincing performance as a strict father stripped of star charisma.
The story begins to unravel when bruises are spotted on the body of their eldest daughter, Elia (Vanessa Ceban), raising suspicions of potential abuse at home. The film never shows anything disturbing happening, but Mungiu's use of certain phrases and slow reveals keeps viewers questioning what they are told.
Awards season prospects
With a runtime of 146 minutes, Fjord faces competition in awards season from the likes of The Odyssey, Dune: Part Three, Elsinore, and Wild Horse Nine. The film engages with themes of discrimination, racism, and the rights of the state versus those of parents.
Fjord is in cinemas from today.
