Avengers: Doomsday star Sebastian Stan and Renate ​Reinsve react to 'surprising' response to divisive new Oscar-tipped drama

In a time when audiences are increasingly accustomed to being spoon-fed, it's becoming all the more important for films to be able to challenge viewers and spark debate – and in new legal drama Fjord, director Cristian Mungiu has achieved exactly that.

Loosely inspired by true events, the film stars Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan as conservative couple Lisbet and Mihai Gheorghiu, whose parenting techniques come under scrutiny after they and their five children move to Lisbet's remote Norwegian hometown.

Following its premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where Fjord was also rewarded the prestigious Palme d'Or (the highest prize of the festival) – the film has been met with a host of very mixed responses: with some critics labelling the film anti-progressive and those on the opposite side of the spectrum arguing that Fjord bravely exposes much of the flaws within inflexible institutional structures.

Speaking exclusively to Radio Times at this year's London Film Festival, Reinsve and Stan discussed their own responses to the divided reaction to the award-winning film.

"I think that the really big emotions, that there has been some anger and a lot of people have struggled with some aspect of it, and the extent they have, has been surprising," explained Reinsve. "But it's also really exciting that it sparks so much debate, and people are disagreeing so much, and it is dividing people."

She continued: "I really love when movies do that. So I'm very proud to be a part of a movie that does that."

Elaborating on Reinsve's points, Stan explained: "I mean, the Palme d'Or was a special experience, and obviously, it was incredible to receive it, and I think it's always nice, because it does bring attention to the movie, and this is a movie that needs it.

"You know, it's not a movie that's giving you the answer, or telling you how to think. You have to make the choice, and the decisions about these people, and what you feel, and the story, and what was right and what was wrong. And in today's world, there's not a lot of support system for that."

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He added: "So of course it's going to have a reaction. I think we need movies that bring some reaction."

Creating a film that has been met with such discourse is nothing new for Romanian director Mungiu. Previous cinematic offerings of his include the acclaimed 2007 drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, which, similarly to Fjord, both won the Palme d'Or and became the subject of some controversy – this time surrounding censorship and the abortion debate.

The response to this kind of divisive filmmaking has proven how effectively cinema can explore ideas of moral ambiguity.

Speaking to this, Stan added: "Cinema might be one of the last places that affords you the luxury and the privacy to think for yourself, you know, and not think the way you're being told to think.

"So, I think we need to keep, you know, encouraging and supporting people. 'Cause you can go there, and you can have your own thoughts, and you don't need to, you know, share it – or maybe you do share it. But either way, it's there for you to formulate your own opinion, and that's important."

Despite this surrounding debate, Fjord has still been met with much critical recognition – with Radio Times's own four-star review of the film saying that "the film is perfectly judged, operating at just the right level of offbeat to be unsettling without ever dipping into anything too overtly absurdist". Furthermore, Fjord is also being tipped for nominations in several major categories at next year's Academy Awards, with many citing both Reinsve and Stan (both of whom have previously been nominated for Sentimental Value and The Apprentice, respectively) as standouts.

As well as its leading duo, Fjord also stars the likes of Lisa Carlehed, Markus Tønseth and Henrikke Lund-Olsen as Mia, Mats and Noora Halberg (the Gheorghiu's neighbours), respectively, as well as Vanessa Ceban and Jonathan Ciprian Breazu as Elia and Emmanuel Gheorghiu, the two eldest of Lisbet and Mihail's children.

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Fjord is now showing in UK cinemas.

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