Sebastian Stan’s Palme d’Or winner ‘Fjord’ sets release date in tense first trailer
Sebastian Stan is almost unrecognizable as a Romanian father whose family is pulled into a child-welfare investigation in the first trailer for 'Fjord.' The film reunites Stan with his 'A Different Man' co-star Renate Reinsve, who plays his Norwegian wife.
As questions grow around bruises found on their oldest daughter, the footage leaves room for doubt about the parents, the authorities, and the cultural divide between them. It offers no easy answer about where concern ends and prejudice begins.
Neon released the trailer on August 27 and confirmed that 'Fjord' will open in theaters on October 9. The film, by Romanian writer-director Cristian Mungiu, won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Stan plays Mihai Gheorghiu, a devout Romanian evangelical Christian, while Reinsve stars as his wife, Lisbet. The couple moves from Bucharest to a remote coastal town in Norway with their five children to live closer to her family.
“A Norwegian woman and her devout Romanian husband relocate with their five children to a remote, close-knit coastal town,” the official synopsis reads. “Their teenage children form a fast bond with a neighboring family as unease begins to simmer around their rigid beliefs. When allegations of abuse emerge, they are forced to confront a system of judgment that blurs the lines between concern and prejudice.”
The investigation begins after teachers notice unexplained bruises on the couple’s oldest daughter. Norway’s child protection services become involved, and the inquiry quickly escalates into the possibility of a criminal sentence for Mihai and Lisbet. The trailer shows the parents navigating interviews, official meetings, and mounting scrutiny as all five children are placed in protective custody. The family’s religious beliefs and approach to discipline are also examined.
The cast includes Vanessa Cuban and Jonathan Ciprian Breeze as the couple’s oldest children. Lisa Carlehed, Henrikke Lund-Olsen, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Lisa Loven Kongsli and Markus Tønseth also appear. According to Norway’s public broadcaster NRK, the story draws from several child-welfare cases in the country. The roles also allow Romanian-born Stan and Norwegian actor Reinsve to play characters from their respective home countries.
Mungiu told Deadline in May that he initially thought Stan was “too good-looking, somehow.” Discussing the actor’s shaved head, glasses, and altered appearance, he added, “Sebastian was very generous, and he followed my idea about how he should be looking for 'Fjord'. As the film proves, he doesn’t need to be handsome to keep you glued to the screen.” 'Fjord' marks Stan and Reinsve’s second film together after 2024’s 'A Different Man.'
