Sebastian Stan defends conservative themes in film Fjord

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 17:31 · Archive

Actor Sebastian Stan has defended his new film Fjord, which follows a conservative Christian family in conflict with Norwegian authorities over child-rearing methods.

Sebastian Stan stars in Fjord, a critically-acclaimed drama opening in US theatres on 9 October, which screened at the New York Film Festival. The film, written and directed by Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, follows Mihai, a conservative Christian Romanian man who moves his family to Norway, where his wife Lisbet is from. The story is inspired by a true case involving a Romanian family whose children were taken into Norwegian child protection services after the parents admitted to spanking them.

Stan told Decider that he is drawn to roles that explore subject matters he does not immediately understand. He related to the film's difficult questions about parenting, reflecting on his own upbringing. The 44-year-old actor, who recently welcomed his first child with wife Annabelle Wallis, plays against type as a character whose views differ significantly from his own publicly stated positions, having previously criticised Donald Trump and supported gay rights.

When promoting the film on The Daily Show, Stan defended its conservative themes. Host Michael Kosta asked if the film could be characterised as 'fairly conservative', to which Stan agreed but argued that this characterisation should not negate the family's perspective or their desire to raise their children as they see fit. Stan questioned when conservative became 'so wrong', and called for dialogue across ideological divides.

How it is being reported

• Actor Sebastian Stan asks when did 'conservative' become 'wrong' while defending film against criticsActor Sebastian Stan defended the "fairly conservative" themes of his new film "Fjord" on "The Daily Show," asking when conservative became so wrong.Fox News · 9 Oct, 16:28
• Sebastian Stan Explains Why He Picks Roles Like ‘Fjord’ and ‘The Apprentice:’ “I’m Drawn to Filmmakers Who Are Fearless”Stan stars as a bald, conservative Christian in his new critically-acclaimed film.New York Post · 8 Oct, 13:00

In this story: Sebastian Stan · Fjord · Cristian Mungiu · Renate Reinsve · Norway · Romania

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