Child abuse drama 'Fjord' takes top prize at Cannes film festival

Special tribute paid to Barbra Streisand, who was was prevented from attending due to knee injury

'Fjord' director Cristian Mungui, winner of the Palme D'Or at Cannes film festival, alongside its stars Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan and various other Cannes winners and jury members. Picture: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

Nineteen years after his searing abortion drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days won the top prize at the Cannes film festival, Cristian Mungiu’s English-language debut, Fjord, has repeated the trick.

The film stars Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan as Romanian religious parents who relocate to Norway, where they find themselves accused of child abuse.

The win makes makes Mungiu, 58, the 10th director to have received two Palmes, following Alf Sjoberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Bille August, Emir Kusturica, Shohei Imamura, the Dardenne brothers, Michael Haneke, Ken Loach, and Ruben Ostlund.

The runner-up prize, the Grand Prix, was won by Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur, a dark satire of corruption and infidelity in contemporary Russia, while Valeska Grisebach’s Bulgaria-set drama about an archaeologist, The Dreamed Adventure, came in third, taking the Jury prize.

The director award was tied between Pawel Pawlikowski for Fatherland and Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi for The Black Ball, while both the actor and actress awards were awarded jointly to pairs of performers from two films.

Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto both won the best actress prize for Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s care drama All of a Sudden, while the best actor prize was awarded to Valentin Campagne and Emmanuel Macchia for queer First World War drama Coward.

The 79th Cannes film festival was slightly muted, marked by a number of disappointing returns from assorted auteurs, as well as a distinct absence of Hollywood glitz. The two US films in competition — James Gray’s Paper Tiger, starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, and Ira Sachs’ Aids musical The Man I Love, starring Rami Malek — were both ignored by the judges.

Fjord has already been acquired by US distributor Neon: this is their seventh consecutive year taking the top spot. Sean Baker’s Anora progressed from taking the Palme two years ago to sweeping the 2025 Oscars.

Park Chan-wook presided over this year’s jury — which included Demi Moore, Stellan Skarsgard, Chloe Zhao, and Paul Laverty — while Isabelle Huppert paid special tribute during the closing ceremony to Barbra Streisand.

Streisand was one of three recipients of honorary Palmes d’Or this year, the others being Peter Jackson and John Travolta, but was prevented from visiting the Croisette by a knee injury.

She sent a lengthy video message to the audience at the Palais des Festivals, concluding by saying: “In this crazy, volatile world that seems more fractured every day, it’s reassuring to see the compelling movies at this festival, by artists from many countries.

“Film has that magical ability to unite us, opening our hearts and minds. I’m so proud to be part of this community, so merci beaucoup and vive la cinema!” 

The winners in the sidebar competitions were also announced, with Sandra Wollner’s Everytime winning Un Certain Regard, Marie Clementine Dusabejambo’s Ben’Imana winning the Camera d’Or for best first film, and Marine Atlan’s La Gradiva winning Critics Week.

Meanwhile, Too Many Beasts by Sarah Arnold won best European film in Directors’ Fortnight, while Clio Barnard’s I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning won the Audience award.

Guardian