Cristi Mungiu explains “Fjord”, the film with which she won the Palme d'Or at Cannes: “I think we should meet somewhere in the middle”
“This film is a commitment against any kind of fundamentalism,” said the Romanian director who won the Palme d'Or for the second time.
- “I think movies have become too political in the last 10 or 15 years, always confirming the 'correct values.' We need to balance this with films that allow us to express our doubts about the values of the day. This is a part of democracy and freedom that we must keep alive” – Cristian Mungiu.
“Fjord” by Cristian Mungiu is a film about a family of Romanians who emigrate to Norway, together with their 5 children. They bring with them customs and mentalities from home, some religious, others adapted to the “physical corrections” applied to children, familiar to the older generations of Eastern Europe. Mungiu, as the international press writes, does not judge.
Mungiu also criticizes “left-wing fundamentalism”
In the seemingly idyllic Scandinavian landscape, the life of the Romanian family takes a dramatic turn when traces of violence are observed on the children at school.
From that moment the infernal mechanism of another kind of “arrogant self-satisfaction”, as The Guardian describes it in the film's review, turns: the arrogance of the Norwegian state, liberal by definition.
The children are quickly taken into temporary care by the host country, pending a hearing and criminal trial. This “left-wing fundamentalism” is no less risky, said Cristian Mungiu since the press conference after the screening, about the film that brought him the second Palme d'Or of his career.
“Today, society is divided. It is fragmented. It is radicalized,” declared Mungiu.
“This film is a commitment against any kind of fundamentalism. It is a commitment to these things that we mention very often, such as trauma, inclusion and empathy. They are beautiful words, but we need to put them into practice more often,” added the Romanian director.
“I hope that in a democratic society there is still room for discussion”
Mungiu believes that only the democratic approach has the ability to fill the rift of polarization that has spread throughout the world.
“I come from a communist country. There was no debate about your right to question what was imposed as truth in society. And I hope that in a democratic society there is still room to discuss the values you have and the best way to spread them,” said the Romanian director in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
He wanted to say that the film does not recreate, but fictionalizes, and that it does not judge the way the rules work in Norway, for example.
“I have great respect for Norway and the Nordic countries. It is a very civilized society. They need to be less rigid in understanding that not everyone has been lucky enough to reach this level of empathy.”
“I have more faith in the ability of a progressive society to admit self-criticism”
“I think this film deals with fundamentalism to a large extent. If you have a fundamentalist mentality, there is not such a big difference between right-wing and left-wing fundamentalism. I think we should meet somewhere in the middle and start by accepting that some people will not have the same views and values as us,” Mungiu said.
“The fact that I express doubts about our liberal society does not for one second mean that I am a defender of a conservative society. It means that I have more faith in a progressive society's ability to admit self-criticism,” he added, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Yes, he knows the film can be used by right-wing conservative groups. But all films can be used, he adds. “I hope to stir things up and create some controversy. The film is just a trigger for a conversation that I think we need to have in society.”
It is the opinion of an optimist who doesn't believe that things go well by themselves, but only if people get involved.
The best evidence? “I didn't make the film in Belarus, but in Norway,” replied Mungiu. There is no debate in Belarus.
