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Mungiu’s Fjord Wins Palme d’Or as Cannes Splits Top Prizes Among Political Films

Split jury awards have elevated films that confront social and historical fractures and increased their visibility to distributors and awards voters.

Overview

  • Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord won the Palme d’Or on Sunday, with Mungiu describing the film as a plea for tolerance and marking his second Palme de Oro.
  • The Best Director prize was shared ex aequo between Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo for La bola negra and Pawel Pawlikowski for Fatherland, signaling the jury’s intent to spread recognition.
  • La bola negra received one of the festival’s longest ovations and is set to open in Spanish cinemas on October 2, while press reports say Netflix has acquired U.S. rights in a deal that remains unconfirmed by the streamer.
  • Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur took the Grand Prix and used its acceptance to call for an end to the war in Ukraine, underscoring the festival’s focus on contemporary political themes.
  • Federico Luis won the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film with Para los contrincantes, the first Argentine to do so, a recognition that boosts the international profile of Argentine short filmmaking and may widen festival-to-market paths for other films.