Cristian Mungiu’s ‘Fjord’ wins Palme d’Or at 79th Cannes Film Festival

Mungiu described the film as a deliberate examination of what he called “left-wing fundamentalism.” Speaking to the press after the ceremony, he said: “Today the society is split. This film is a pledge against any type of fundamentalism. It’s a pledge for these things we quote very often, like trauma and inclusion and empathy. These are lovely words but we need to apply them more often.”

A Pledge Against Fundamentalism

Set in Norway, “Fjord” follows a couple whose cultural and personal convictions collide with a welfare state’s rigid approach. The narrative deliberately avoids easy answers, forcing the audience to weigh competing values of child protection, parental autonomy and communal responsibility.

The film was acquired for distribution by specialty label Neon, extending an extraordinary streak: the company has now taken seven consecutive Palme d’Or winners, including last year’s champion Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” and the 2024 winner “Anora.”

Neon’s Unprecedented Streak

German director Valeska Grisebach was awarded the Jury Prize for “Das geträumte Abenteuer,” her debut in the Cannes competition. The film stars Sandra Hüller and follows a shared road trip by literary figures Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika Mann through war-ravaged Germany in 1949.

In her acceptance speech, Grisebach said: “Europa steht für mich für die Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Ländern.” Her previous feature “Western” screened in the festival’s Un Certain Regard section in 2017.

Other Festival Winners

The Grand Prize of the Jury, the festival’s second most important award, went to Russian director Andrej Swjaginzew for his socially critical thriller “Minotaur.” The prize for best director was split three ways: Spaniards Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi for “The Black Ball” (“La bola negra”), and Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski for “Vaterland.”

In the acting categories, Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne were named best actors for their performances in Lukas Dhont’s “Coward,” while Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto shared the best actress prize for “All of a Sudden” (“Soudain”). The screenplay award went to French writer Emmanuel Marre for “A Man of His Time” (“Notre Salut”).

Beyond the competition, the festival paid tribute to Barbra Streisand with an honorary award. The 84-year-old icon was forced to cancel her trip to Cannes due to a knee problem and appeared via video message, thanking the festival and noting that films have “diese magische Fähigkeit,” a magical ability, to unite people.

A Tribute to Barbra Streisand

Actress Isabelle Huppert delivered a hommage in Streisand’s absence, saying: “Sie hat sich immer dagegen gewehrt, dass andere für sie entscheiden. Sie hat oft Nein gesagt – deshalb lieben wir sie so sehr.” Streisand, who starred in 19 films, directed three and won two Oscars, recalled her early days as an 18-year-old singer in New York nightclubs and her decades-long effort to bring the story “Yentl” to the screen.

Streisand’s family background as the child of Jewish parents in Brooklyn and her determined path from performer to auteur were celebrated as part of a career that repeatedly defied expectations.

The jury’s choices underscored a festival that grappled with societal fractures and the role of storytelling in bridging them. Grisebach’s film, set at an archaeological dig in a Bulgarian border town, reflects on transnational cooperation, while Swjaginzew’s thriller takes aim at social critiques through genre.

Cinema as a Bridge

Mungiu’s “Fjord” and the evening’s other winners collectively reinforced Cannes’ enduring reputation as a platform for cinema that dares to pose uncomfortable questions. The 79th edition closed with little doubt that personal and political turmoil remain fertile ground for the world’s most prestigious film gathering.

The golden Palme itself, awarded for the 79th time, was handed over in a ceremony that balanced celebration with calls for empathy, inclusion and a rejection of any fundamentalism, as Mungiu urged the industry and audiences alike to turn “lovely words” into lived practice.