"I want to talk about important topics, such as how traditional values collide with Western values, and how this leads to division," Mungiu said at a packed press conference.
Sebastian Stan (who is originally from Romania) and Norwegian Renate Reinsve play the parents who settle with their children in a town far up the Norwegian coast.
The family is deeply Christian, and when one of the children at school says that homosexuality is a sin, it stirs up strong emotions. A teacher discovers bruises on the older girl - have the parents abused her? Child welfare authorities and the police are involved; language difficulties and cultural clashes lead to the children being taken into care and to a trial.
Skarsgård's "daughter"
Renate Reinsve, last seen as Stellan Skarsgård's daughter in "Sentimental Value", says it's about trying to understand another person's perspective.
"She is deeply religious, she is very humble, she lives a life that is completely different from the one I live. A film like this teaches how difficult it can be to understand," she says.
"It was scary to play someone who many people think is wrong. I love the dynamics of what happens in a family - but I was struck by how rigid the system can be. When is it time for society to take over?"
Not taking a position
The film is deeply engaging, but does not take a stand on whether it was right or wrong for the authorities to take the children into their care.
"Life is ambiguous, and you have to respect that. Why do they do this? A film should give the person who sees it an opportunity to think again. That's what I want to do," says Christian Mungiu.
He also emphasizes that the film should not be perceived as a criticism of Norway. It is inspired by several cases that he read about a number of years ago.
"I did a lot of research, I spoke to a lot of people who were involved in different ways. The film is fiction, but it is inspired by real cases. It is about what happens when your personal values clash with the values of the society you have moved to."
"Fjord" has been purchased for Swedish distribution and will premiere after the New Year.
