"When violence is involved, they take it very seriously."
Neon / Elevation Pictures
Stan's bald appearance and devout but polite demeanour rankle some when he gets frustrated by what he sees as government intervention into how he is allowed to raise or discipline his children without pop music, dancing, or the internet in a family-based structure. Both leads are suitably steadfast yet devastated as strict but loving parents indefinitely separated from their children by Norway's Child Protective Services after being suspected of physically abusing them.
The legal matters unfold at a thoughtfully deliberate pace, so the film does not tip too far into sympathy for any one particular party. Instead, the audience slowly learns everyone's different points of view as they try to protect the family's young children while acknowledging the societal and language differences that rock this otherwise tightly knit village community. It's a masterful, often intentionally frustrating piece of social cinematic exploration.
Mungiu carefully explores the limitations and interference of true guaranteed freedoms when foreigners integrate themselves into a homogeneous society. Sometimes, it's a circular argument of tense but genial disagreements. Fjord dissects the inherent conflict between Eastern and Western Europe when migration forces divisions between what are considered cultural values and freedom of speech or religion.
Fjord screened at the 2026 Vancouver International Film Festival as part of the Special Presentations series at the Vancouver Playhouse on October 2nd and 7th.
More | YVArcade / Exclaim / Indiewire
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