Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, who won this year's Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Fjord, said on Sunday evening upon returning to Romania that he expects the Romanian state to provide greater support for culture and cinema, arguing that filmmakers have fulfilled their cultural mission by bringing home awards that 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. 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. (...) The state has a law, there is a tax on lottery gambling. That law and that tax have existed for years, but the money is not being paid and the state is doing nothing. This is my demand - for the state to apply its own law, because if the lottery fund contributed to the National Cinema Fund as required by law, we would no longer have financing problems. Medals and decorations - I already have a small suitcase full of them from last time, that is enough for me, thank you,' Cristian Mungiu said.

The Palme d'Or-winning director and screenwriter was not received in the Official Lounge at Otopeni Airport upon returning to the country, but said he was pleased to be welcomed instead by a large number of 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. I know there are difficulties and that we all have to contribute with whatever we can. 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,' the director stressed.

He also underlined that it is not normal for Romania's culture budget to constantly be the smallest in Europe, 'a budget of 0-point-something', which he described as 'shameful.'

'I received the maximum legal support that can be granted to cinema, but it is entirely insufficient if you want to make a film like the one I made. The Romanian state was only capable of investing one-sixth of the film's budget. 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. So 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 and audiences will always go to the cinema wondering why films like those from the past are no longer made. It was a propaganda period then and money was poured into it ... If we manage to solve the issue of receiving the money we are legally entitled to under the law, and for which I hope to mobilise Romanian authorities, we will be able to make larger-budget films or series,' Cristian Mungiu said.

Cristian Mungiu also said he hopes Romanian audiences will come to see the feature film, noting that his productions are watched far more abroad than in Romania, which he described as 'not a good sign for us.'

He added that he hopes viewers will not leave the cinema with the same opinions they had when they entered, but will instead reflect on their own prejudices in relation to the situations presented on screen.

'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,' the filmmaker argued.

Cristian Mungiu also said special preview screenings of 'Fjord' may follow and that discussions would have to take place with the American distributor, which has priority because it will handle the Oscar campaign.

'Fjord' automatically qualifies for the Academy Awards following a change in regulations.

'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,' Mungiu explained.

The Cannes-winning director also said that although he worked in 'Fjord' with two Hollywood stars, Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, he did not have a Hollywood-sized budget and relied heavily on the generosity of the two actors.

'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. Both came to the set just like a Romanian actor would, without entourages, without publicists, agents or managers. We shared the same set as if we were making a film in Romania, even though, of course, the film was shot in Norway and had a much larger budget. But there is a great deal of respect, and not only for my films. There is a great deal of attention and respect. (...) I waited for years to work with Sebastian until I found the right project. I hope I will continue to work with major actors known all over the world, but the film itself also has to have something important to say,' the director emphasised.

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

According to the festival's official website, 'Fjord' is a film about the difficulty of understanding someone who thinks differently, a story about polarisation, the inability to engage in dialogue, the things that divide people and those that still keep them together.

Cristian Mungiu returned to Cannes' official competition with the same artistic courage that earned him the Palme d'Or in 2007 for '4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days', the Best Screenplay award in 2012 for 'Beyond the Hills' and the Best Director award in 2016 for 'Graduation'. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Otilia Halunga; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)