Cristian Mungiu will delve into a tense drama between two families in his next feature, ‘FJORD.’ It is slated to start filming in the spring of 2025, with Ålesund and Vestland in Norway used as the primary locations. Set in a small village in Norway, the story focuses on the increasingly complicated dynamics between two families. While one spouse in each relationship is a Norwegian, the other spouse comes from a different nationality. Both couples have children of the same age, which, at first, gives them a common ground to bond over. However, with time, their differences come to light, especially in the way each chooses to raise their children. The question of social and cultural differences is added to the mix, with each questioning the values of the other. Through their conflict, the film also explores the meaning of privacy and what it means to live in a free and tolerant space.
The cast of ‘FJORD’ is headlined by Sebastian Stan. Best known for playing Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stan has recently turned towards more dramatic roles and displayed his knack for grey characters that toe the line between good and bad. He was seen in Aaron Schimberg’s ‘A Different Man’ as a struggling actor with neurofibromatosis who goes through a transformation that changes his body but not his mind. In Ali Abbasi’s ‘The Apprentice,’ he appears as a young Donald Trump, starring alongside Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn.
Stan is set to make a return to the MCU with ‘Thunderbolts,’ which will pair him up with Florence Pugh and David Harbour. He will also reunite with his ‘Pam and Tommy‘ co-star, Lily James, in Christian Tafdrup’s upcoming horror thriller, ‘Let the Evil Go West.’ The actor’s collaboration with Cristian Mungiu reflects his desire to work more in Romanian productions. The actor was born in Romania and lived there till he was eight years old. He still speaks Romanian and expressed the wish to work in the language to get closer to his birth nation’s history.
In 2018, he attended a film festival organized by Mungiu in Romania, leading to the duo’s collaboration on this international co-production. One of the country’s most celebrated directors, Mungiu is known for films like ‘Occident,’ ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ (which won Palme d’Or in 2007), and ‘Graduation’ (for which he won Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival). His last feature was ‘R.M.N,’ which was inspired by the 2020 Ditrău xenophobic incident and follows the story of a man’s complicated relationship with his ex.
No other major cast members for ‘FJORD’ have been announced so far. However, a casting call was launched to look for boys and girls between ages 6 to 14 of Romanian descent who live in Norway and speak Romanian, English, and Norwegian. The project also received support from Romania’s National Center of Cinematography (CNC) in the form of 3.5 million lei in funds. This is the largest amount given in financing to a film in recent times.
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