Summary of this article
Cristian Mungiu's English-language debut Fjord won a 10-minute standing ovation at Cannes.
It stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve in the lead roles.
Fjord is competing for the prestigious Palme d’Or this year at Cannes.
Palme d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu’s devastating family legal drama Fjord, starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, had its world premiere at Cannes 2026 on Monday night. The film, which is one of the top contenders for Palme d’Or this year at Cannes, earned a rapturous 10-minute standing ovation.
Fjord premieres at Cannes
As the crowd applauded, both Stan and Reinsve were seen getting emotional, fighting back tears. The festival director Thierry Frémaux handed Mungiu the microphone, with the crowd applauding and cheering even louder.
“I want to thank you because this is the moment of truth for every film,” said Mungiu in English after his speech in French. “It’s when we’ll know in 20 years that the film is good.”
Alongside the cast and the director, the premiere also saw Sharon Stone, Carla Bruni, Cannes jury member Demi Moore, Jordan Firstman and Stellan Skarsgard in attendance.
Fjord marks Mungiu’s first film after his 2022 drama R.M.N. It is also his English-language debut.
Mungiu has competed in Cannes four times, winning the Palme d’Or for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days in 2007, Best Screenplay for Beyond The Hills in 2012, and Best Director for Graduation in 2016.
Fjord story
Fjord follows a Gheorghiu family, with a Romanian father and Norwegian mother, who have moved from Romania to Norway with their five children — two teenagers, two younger ones, and the fifth, a babe in arms. Their new life does not go as planned, as the couple, Mihai (Stan), an IT expert, and Lisbet (Reinsve), who works in medicine, face an uncertain future in the new place, leading them to a court battle.
Fjord cast
Lisa Carlehed, Ellen Petersen, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Henrik Lund-Olsen and Vanessa Ceban round out the cast.
