Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, winner of this year’s Palme d’Or at Cannes for ‘Fjord’, said on Sunday evening, upon returning to Romania, that he expects the state to offer stronger support for culture and cinema, arguing that filmmakers have fulfilled their mission by bringing home awards that actually belong to the entire country.

“If we managed once again to win a Palme d’Or – because it did not belong to me, but to Romanian cinema – I do have expectations that are not related to my film. My request and expectation is that the Romanian state should try to give a little more back to culture and cinema, because we have done our part,” he said. “It is somewhat embarrassing that 20 years after winning the first Palme d’Or, we are returning now and still do not have a premiere cinema hall in Bucharest where we can present this film. We need the state to help us.”

Mungiu criticised the state for failing to enforce the law requiring lottery-gambling taxes to feed the National Cinema Fund, saying that if the fund received the money owed, “we would no longer have financing problems”. He added: “Medals and decorations – I already have a small suitcase full of them from last time, that is enough for me, thank you.”

Although he was not received at the Official Lounge at Otopeni Airport, the director said he preferred being welcomed by journalists rather than by the political class.

“I made a film that speaks more about the need to get involved through actions, not words. I do not need the Official Lounge. Given the state of Romanian politics, I would rather speak with you than with anyone else,” he said. “I try to do my job understanding that I represent not myself, but something greater than that. This is an award that does not belong to me. I gladly share it not only with the team that made it, but with everyone who was happy we won it,” Mungiu underscored.

He criticised again Romania’s chronic underfunding of culture, calling the “0-point-something” budget “shameful”. Although he received the maximum legal support available for ‘Fjord’, it covered only one-sixth of the film’s budget, he noted.

“If we look at films made before 1990, today we would not be able to make a film with three horses, two tanks and 2,000 extras,” he remarked. “If we want that kind of epic and glorious depiction of our history, we also need to make a small effort, otherwise we will remain stuck with chamber films. Audiences will always go to the cinema wondering why films like those from the past are no longer made.”

He argued that solving the issue of the unpaid lottery tax would allow Romania to produce larger-budget films and series.

The director also expressed hope that Romanian audiences would come to see ‘Fjord’, noting that his films are watched far more abroad than at home – “not a good sign for us”. He said he hopes viewers will leave the cinema reflecting on their own prejudices: “It is a film that tries to stimulate critical thinking a little, to make you realise that you are capable of making decisions based on your own judgement, not on intuition, sympathy or what others have told you. Think for yourself and we will all be better off.”

Mungiu said special preview screenings may follow, depending on discussions with the American distributor, which has priority because it will handle the Oscar campaign. Following a change in regulations, ‘Fjord’ automatically qualifies for the Academy Awards. “If the central promotion point will be late autumn and the beginning of next year, we may wait with the film’s theatrical release until then,” he said.

Although ‘Fjord’ features Hollywood actors Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, Mungiu stressed that the production did not have a Hollywood-level budget.

“Sebastian is patriotic, in his own way. We worked with two Hollywood stars on budgets that we could afford. Without their generosity, we would not have been able to make the film,” he said. “Both came to the set just like a Romanian actor would, without entourages, without publicists, agents or managers.”

Mungiu also said he was moved to receive a congratulatory phone call from Moldovan President Maia Sandu after the award ceremony.

According to the festival, ‘Fjord’ is a story about the difficulty of understanding those who think differently – a film about polarisation, dialogue, and the fragile ties that still hold people together