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Romanian director Cristian Mungiu’s film Fjord was awarded the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d’Or, on Saturday. The film features a significant amount of Finnish expertise – including staff and alums from Aalto University’s Department of Film (ELO).

The production team includes ELO’s Executive in Residence, producer Jussi Rantamäki, who served as the film’s co-producer, as well as costume designer Kirsi Gum and sound designer Pietu Korhonen, who are former ELO students.

Korhonen has previously worked on the sound design for films such as Juho Kuosmanen’s Cabin No. 6 and Aki Kaurismäki’s Dead Leaves, and Kirsi Gum has previously won a Jussi Award.

Fjord tells the story of a Romanian-Norwegian immigrant family that becomes the subject of an investigation and comes under the scrutiny of the local legal system. The film is based on true events.

At the Cannes Film Festival, the film also received the FIPRESCI Prize from the International Federation of Film Critics, the Prix du Jury Œcuménique from the Ecumenical Jury, the François Chalais Prize, and the Prix de la Citoyenneté.

The film is a co-production involving six countries. The participating companies are Mobra Films from Romania, Aamu from Finland, Why Not Productions from France, Eye Eye Pictures from Norway, Snowglobe Film from Denmark, and Filmgate Films and Garage Film from Sweden.

The film will be released in theaters in Finland at a later date.