Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsway became emotional at the Cannes Film Festival when their family drama ‘Fjord’ received a 10-minute standing ovation during its premiere on Monday night. The Cristian Mungiu film was screened at the Grand Palace and received a strong reaction from audiences for its story about a Romanian family in Norway whose lives fall apart after state authorities take away their children due to alleged abuse.According to Variety, ‘Fjord’ follows the Gheorghiu family, led by a Romanian father played by Stan and a Norwegian mother played by Reinsve. The family moves to a quiet Norwegian village, where they build a new life before coming under investigation. Their children are then removed from their care, leading to a painful legal and personal crisis.

‘Fjord’ Cannes premiere gets emotional reaction

The Cannes audience reacted strongly during the screening, with the audience gasping as the parents came to terms with the loss of their preteen, teen, and infant. The film focuses on the clash between strict religious beliefs, social norms and state power. After the screening, Mungiu thanked the audience in French and English. “I want to thank everyone here for believing in me,” he said.The filmmaker also said that Cannes is an important test for his work and whether a film will stand the test of time. The story follows Gheorghias as he settles in his mother’s birthplace, a remote village near a bay. They soon became close to the neighboring family, the Halbergs. The children from both houses grow closer, but Gheorghias’ life changes when he faces suspicion over his disturbing behavior.

Christian Mungiu returns to Cannes with ‘Fjord’

Mungiu has a long history with Cannes. He won the Palme d’Or in 2007 for ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’. He later won Best Screenplay for ‘Beyond the Hills’ in 2012 and Best Director for ‘Graduation’ in 2016. His 2022 play ‘RMN’ also competed at the festival. Stan and Reinsway are also Cannes stalwarts. Stan attended the festival for ‘The Apprentice’, while Reinsway won Best Actress for ‘The Worst Person in the World’. She also returned with ‘Sentimental Value’, which won the Grand Prix. Neon chose ‘Fjord’ a year before its Cannes debut. The distributor also has ‘Hope’ and ‘Paper Tiger’ at Cannes this year.