Romanian director Cristian Mungiu won his second Palme d’Or on May 23, 2026 for the drama “Fjord” at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, NPR reported. The film about an immigrant Evangelical Christian family in Norway facing a child abuse case within the social services system topped 21 other competition entries at the closing ceremony in the Grand Théâtre Lumière. Mungiu first took the prize in 2007, joining a small group of directors who have won the award twice according to Variety.
NPR carried Mungiu’s acceptance speech in which he said “We took the risk to speak aloud about things that many of us know and many of us share … but don’t dare to say in public.” He described society as split, divided and radicalized while framing the film as “a pledge against any kind of fundamentalism” and a call to apply tolerance, inclusion and empathy more often. The director encouraged artists to address uncomfortable contemporary issues through their work.
The multilingual drama stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as a devout couple accused of physically abusing their children after they clash with Norwegian authorities, a plot that Variety said divided critics over its sociopolitical stance. “Fjord” represents a co-production involving Romania, Norway, Denmark, Finland, France and Sweden, and it explores tensions between religious conservatism and social liberalism according to The New York Times. Mungiu’s win underscores continued international interest in films that probe cultural fault lines.
A jury headed by South Korean director Park Chan-wook selected the winner from 22 films in competition, including American entries “The Man I Love” by Ira Sachs and “Paper Tiger” by James Gray, NPR noted. The Grand Prix went to “Minotaur” by Andrey Zvyagintsev while Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto shared best actress honors for “All of a Sudden,” the festival results published by Variety showed. Valentin Campagne and Emmanuel Macchia took best actor for the World War I love story “Coward.”
Actress Barbra Streisand received the third Honorary Palme d’Or of the festival but could not attend because of a knee injury, NPR reported. In a video message she said “In a crazy, volatile world that seems more fractured every day, it’s reassuring to see the compelling movies at this festival by artists from many countries.” Streisand added that “Film has that magical ability to unite us, opening our hearts and minds.”
The Palme d’Or has been Cannes’ highest honor since its introduction in 1955, replacing earlier top prizes and remaining a symbol presented in a red Morocco leather case according to festival records on Wikipedia. Mungiu now stands as the 10th filmmaker to claim it twice, 19 years after his debut victory for “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” Variety calculated. The 79th edition, hosted by Eye Haïdara and running since the festival’s founding in 1946, continued a tradition of spotlighting global cinema amid ongoing debates on cultural representation.
