Mungiu's 'Fjord' touted for Palme d'Or

Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord” has moved quickly into the Cannes awards conversation after its premiere in competition this week. Festival de Cannes staged the film’s red-carpet screening on May 18 and its press conference on May 19, according to the festival’s official schedule. French outlet TF1 said the film “has a taste of Palme d’Or,” while 20 Minutes wrote on May 20 that Mungiu could be heading toward a second top prize. The Romanian director is already a Palme d’Or winner: Festival de Cannes says Mungiu won in 2007 for “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.” The festival’s own write-up on “Fjord,” published May 19, says the new film marks his return to competition nearly two decades later. ### Why has “Fjord” become one of the first films people are watching closely? (festival-cannes.com) TF1 and 20 Minutes both singled out “Fjord” within 48 hours of its Cannes unveiling. TF1 described the picture as tasting of the Palme d’Or, while 20 Minutes said Mungiu was “en route” toward a possible second Palme. Those appraisals came before the festival had produced any clear consensus favorite. (festival-cannes.com) The Festival de Cannes description adds some context for the attention. The official site says “Fjord” is Mungiu’s first foreign-language film and places it in a Norwegian setting that is gradually stripped of its postcard surface. ### What is the film actually about? Festival de Cannes says “Fjord” begins when adolescent Elia Gheorghiu arrives at school with bruises, prompting questions in the community about the traditional upbringing given by her parents. (20minutes.fr) The official film page lists the production countries as Romania, France, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The same page gives the running time as 146 minutes. (festival-cannes.com) Cannes also lists the film in the main Competition lineup, placing it directly in contention for the Palme d’Or rather than in a sidebar section. ### How unusual would a second Palme d’Or be for Mungiu? Mungiu is already in the small group of Cannes directors with one Palme d’Or, and 20 Minutes framed this year’s run as a bid to join the club of filmmakers who have won twice. (festival-cannes.com) The paper tied that possibility directly to the reception around “Fjord” after its first screenings. Festival de Cannes, in its own coverage, likewise foregrounded the gap since his 2007 win. The festival did not call him a frontrunner, but it emphasized that “Fjord” returns him to the competition where he previously won the top prize. ### Is there a clear Palme d’Or frontrunner yet? The answer, for now, is no. The official Cannes site shows the festival still in progress, and the competition schedule continued through May 20 with additional premieres and press conferences. (20minutes.fr) That timing matters because Cannes juries do not announce a running leaderboard. Press reactions can shift as more competition titles screen, and the jury’s deliberations remain private until the closing ceremony. (festival-cannes.com) ### What happens next for “Fjord” at Cannes? The 79th Festival de Cannes runs from May 12 to May 23, the festival’s homepage says. That leaves several days for more competition screenings, reviews and jury viewing before the awards are handed out at the close of the festival. (festival-cannes.com) For now, the next concrete markers are already on the record: “Fjord” premiered on May 18, faced the press on May 19, and remains in the competition lineup until the jury announces the Palme d’Or winner on May 23. (festival-cannes.com 1) (festival-cannes.com 2)