Fjord

Lisbet and Mihai Gheorghiu have moved to a small Norwegian town with their five children. They try to settle in, but find themselves navigating a minefield of cultural differences. The parents enforce daily Bible study and don’t allow their children any modern trappings like smartphones or YouTube. The first problem arises when one of the children tells a classmate that she will end up in hell because she is a lesbian. And when Ella, the eldest daughter, turns up at school with a bruise, the alarmed Norwegian child protection services immediately take drastic action.

With Fjord, Cristian Mungiu (known for the harrowing abortion drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days) won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival for the second time in his career, meaning he now belongs to the select group of two-time winners, which also includes Michael Haneke and Francis Ford Coppola. This unsettling film explores conflicting values surrounding parenting and religion, and raises critical questions about the actions of the Norwegian child protection services. Is socially progressive Scandinavia really as tolerant and empathetic as it thinks it is?

The film is loosely based on the Bodnariu case of 2015; a high-profile and controversial court case involving the Norwegian child protection services that sparked a fierce public debate about the limits of state intervention in family life.

Written by M.V.