The 79th Cannes Film Festival concluded with a major victory for director Cristian Mungiu, whose latest feature, ‘Fjord,’ secured the prestigious Palme d’Or. Set in Norway, the film explores the complexities of political polarization and the tensions surrounding cultural integration. Starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, the narrative follows a Romanian Evangelical couple whose lives are upended after child services intervene in their family life. Mungiu, who previously won the festival’s top prize in 2007 for ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,’ becomes only the tenth filmmaker in history to achieve the honor twice.

The win marks a significant milestone for the distributor Neon, which has now secured seven consecutive Palme d’Or winners. While the festival faced criticism for a lack of breakout hits and a diminished Hollywood presence, the awards ceremony highlighted a diverse array of international talent. The Grand Prix was awarded to Andrey Zvyagintsev’s ‘Minotaur,’ a tense domestic thriller set against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Directing honors were split between Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski for ‘Fatherland’ and the Spanish duo Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo for ‘The Black Ball.’ Acting awards were similarly shared, with Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto recognized for their performances in ‘All of a Sudden,’ while Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne were honored for their roles in the wartime drama ‘Coward.’

Despite the absence of honorary Palme d’Or recipient Barbra Streisand, who was unable to attend due to a knee injury, the ceremony celebrated a historic moment for Rwandan cinema. The Camera d’Or, awarded for the best debut feature, went to Marie Clémentine Dusabejambo for ‘Ben’Imana,’ marking the first time a film from Rwanda has been officially selected for the festival.