'Fjord' by Romania's Mungiu wins Cannes Film Festival's top prize
By Miranda MurrayReuters
Director Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo, Camera d'Or award winner for the film "Ben'imana", director Cristian Mungiu, Palme d'Or award winner for the film "Fjord", next to cast members Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan and Tilda Swinton, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne, co-winners of the Best Actor award winner for their roles in the film "Coward", Isaach De Bankole, Jury member of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, Directors Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, co-winners of the Best Director award for the film "La bola negra" (The Black Ball), Director Pawel Pawlikowski, co-winner of the Best Director award for the film "Fatherland", Director Valeska Grisebach, Jury Prize award winner for the film "Das Getraumte Abenteuer" (The Dreamed Adventure - L'Aventure revee), Director Andrey Zvyagintsev, Grand Prix award winner for the film "Minotaur" (Minotaure), Nadine Labaki, on stage during the closing ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 23, 2026. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
Sarah Meyssonnier
Reuters
CANNES, France - "Fjord," the drama by Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, won the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or top prize on Saturday.
It is the second time Mungiu has won the prize, after 2007's "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days."
The film starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve is centred around the clash of values that ensues when a religious family relocates from Romania to a Norwegian village.
The second-place Grand Prize went to "Minotaur," a drama about a wife's infidelity, from Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev.
The best director prize was shared between Poland's Pawel Pawlikowski for his Thomas Mann drama "Fatherland" and the Spanish duo known as "Los Javis," Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, for the Spanish Civil War epic "The Black Ball."
The best actress prize was handed to the two leads of Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "All of a Sudden," France's Virginie Efira and Japan's Tao Okamoto, both of whom wiped away tears as they took to the stage.
The best actor prize was also shared by the two main stars of Belgian World War One gay love story "Coward," Valentin Campagne and newcomer Emmanuel Macchia.
The jury prize went to "The Dreamed Adventure," a drama about an archaeological dig in Bulgaria, by German film director Valeska Grisebach.
Famed U.S. singer and actor Barbra Streisand was given an honorary Palme d'Or in absentia, after she could not attend the ceremony due to a knee injury.
French screen icon Isabelle Huppert accepted the award on Streisand's behalf.
Streisand, the 84-year-old star of movies including "Yentl" and "Funny Girl" praised cinema's ability to unite people, in a video message accepting the award.
(Reporting by Miranda Murray in Cannes, France; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Director Cristian Mungiu, Palme d'Or award winner for the film "Fjord", poses on stage during the closing ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 23, 2026. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier Sarah Meyssonnier Reuters
Cast members Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve stand as director Cristian Mungiu, winner of the Palme d'Or award for the film "Fjord", reacts during the closing ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 23, 2026. REUTERS/Marko Djurica Marko Djurica Reuters
Cast member Renate Reinsve reacts as director Cristian Mungiu receives the Palme d'Or award for the film "Fjord" from Tilda Swinton during the closing ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 23, 2026. REUTERS/Marko Djurica Marko Djurica Reuters
Director Cristian Mungiu receives the Palme d'Or award for the film "Fjord" from Tilda Swinton during the closing ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 23, 2026. REUTERS/Marko Djurica Marko Djurica Reuters
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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 1:18 PM.
