Fjord, the latest film from Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, attracted more than 150,000 viewers shortly after opening in France on August 19. France is the first of more than 100 territories where the Palme d’Or-winning film is due to receive a theatrical release.

The film ranked first in box-office receipts during both its previews and its official opening day, when it was seen by 30,058 people, including 11,727 in Paris, according to a press release. By the end of its first weekend, it had drawn 140,346 viewers in cinemas, with the Paris audience accounting for 51,847 admissions.

Including preview screenings, Fjord reached a total audience of 151,121 across 270 cinemas. Its distribution is expanding to 290 screens this week.

“Based on the ratio between its first-day box-office revenue and final audience figures, Fjord could attract more than 800,000 viewers in France,” reads the announcement.

The film is distributed in France by Le Pacte, which has handled all of Cristian Mungiu’s films since 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. The latter, which won the filmmaker his first Palme d’Or in 2007, attracted around 380,000 viewers in France.

The release figures place Fjord ahead of the opening-day performance of some other recent Palme d’Or winners. Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident, the 2025 winner, debuted with 20,000 viewers and eventually reached 700,000 admissions, while Sean Baker’s Anora opened at a level close to Fjord and finished with 654,000 viewers.

Cristian Mungiu’s film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May, along with the FIPRESCI Prize, the Citizenship Prize, the François Chalais Prize, and the Ecumenical Jury Prize. 

Fjord was also shown to 43,440 viewers in Romania during a one-off screening on June 13. Distribution also began in French-speaking Switzerland in August, with releases scheduled for September in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, Italy, and Belgium. 

Fjord tells the story of Lisbet and Mihai Gheorghiu, a married couple who move to a small village on a Norwegian fjord. They soon befriend their neighbors, the Halberg family, while the children of the two households grow close despite differences in upbringing and values. The cast includes Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Adrian Titieni, Alin Panc, Giulia Nahmany, and Ana Bodea.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Mobra Films PR)