An isolated village in Norway sees its peaceful veneer upset by the arrival of a new family in Fjord, the Palme d'Or-winning film released in French cinemas this week. Inspired by real-life cases, Romanian director Cristian Mungiu explores questions of domestic violence, religion, culture and tolerance through a story that asks whose version of the truth can be trusted.
Issued on: 22/08/2026 - 14:05
4 min Reading time
The story follows the Gheorghiu family, who settle in a remote Norwegian fjord after arriving from Romania, where the father, played by Sebastian Stan, has found work as an IT technician. His Norwegian wife, played by Renate Reinsve, grew up in the village and is raising their five children, who range in age from a baby to teenagers. As the children settle into school and learn the language, the family becomes friendly with their neighbours, the Halbergs. But the Gheorghius remain outsiders because of their evangelical faith, regular prayers and refusal to let their children watch YouTube or play video games. Child welfare investigation The situation changes when a sports teacher notices bruises on the neck of the eldest Gheorghiu daughter and reports it to school management. Child welfare services quickly intervene and open an investigation into possible child abuse. As the story unfolds, events are shown through the eyes of different characters, with the same incident sometimes described in very different ways. Questions emerge over who is telling the truth and who may be hiding something. Rumours and gossip soon begin to threaten the stable lives the villagers work hard to maintain.
