Actor Sebastian Stan, who plays the lead role in the movie „Fjord,” directed by Cristian Mungiu, Romania’s proposal for the Oscars, rejects the claims of those who say it is a MAGA film, appreciating that many of these reactions come from people who haven’t even seen the film.
Stan also states that what helped him approach the role was the fact that the main theme of the film is the immigrant experience, which reminded him of his arrival in the United States with his mother.
“Fjord” follows the story of a family moving from Romania to a small town in Norway. When the school suspects the parents of practicing physical punishment on the children, the intervention of the institutions triggers a conflict that confronts different values and mentalities about family, education, individual freedom, and state responsibility.
Asked about the comments that it is "a MAGA film," Sebastian Stan responded to Variety, "Here's the deal: since when did it become normal to believe that one camp has all the answers and never makes any mistakes? Many of these reactions come from people who haven't even seen the film."
He believes that this is precisely why we need more films like this.
“To remind us that there was a time when people could meet, have different opinions, and at least listen to each other. The film doesn't point fingers and say, ‘Well, you have the key, and you don't.’ It simply says, ‘Damn it, we're flawed human beings.’ And, by the way, children shouldn't be the ones paying the price for it,” argues the actor.
He also commented that "Fjord" is one of the rare roles that allowed him to speak in his native language and work with a Romanian filmmaker telling about the feelings this fact aroused in him.
“The main theme of the film is the immigrant experience, and for me, this was the way to approach the role.
When I read the script, I remembered my arrival in the US and the shame I felt - how aware I was of the simple fact that I was different.
My mother always told me, not very differently from the family in the film, that you shouldn't make allies, you shouldn't make enemies, but you should be kind to everyone.
As I grew up and gained more confidence in accepting my differences, around 16-17 years old, I told myself that one day I had to go back and find a film to make in Romania, to reconnect.
Cristian was one of the filmmakers I followed. I knew how he filmed, I knew how much he liked his films to be morally ambiguous. We kept trying to find the right project, and eventually he called me and said, ‘I think I have this film. It will be my first English-language film and your first Romanian film.’ It fit very well,” recounted Sebastian Stan.
The movie "Fjord," directed by Cristian Mungiu, is Romania's proposal for the 2027 Oscars in the "Best International Feature Film" category.
The film premiered at Cannes, where it won the Palme d'Or for Best Film, the FIPRESCI Award, the Ecumenical Jury Prize, the Prix de la Citoyenneté, and the François Chalais Award.
The film was released on August 19 in France and is set to be released in Romania in the winter.