The Swede Ruben Ostlund, 48, was awarded the palme de'or by Vincent Lindon, chair of the jury for "Without filter", which was his sixth film. He joined the club of "bipalmed" filmmakers along with the Dardenne brothers, Francis Ford Coppola and Ken Loach, Emir Kusturica, Shohei Imamura, and Francis Ford Coppola.
Even better: He won the supreme prize for two films consecutively (after "The Square" in 2017), like Bille August or Michael Haneke.
Ruben Ostlund's "Without Filter" is a three-act play. There is the screaming match between two young influencer models over payment; there is a luxury cruise on which our two fashion plates, along with some drunken billionaires, are overpowered with bile; and their survival on a desert island, where power relations are reversed and the Asian maid gains the upper hand over those who exploit her. Let "Titanic", "Koh-Lanta", and "Titanic” be a sign of capitalist indecency, and class cataclysm.
Ruben Ostlund is a sharp observer of modern cowardice, hypocrisy, and adept at long sketches in which laughter competes with embarrassment. He has a talent for breaking down social norms and propriety... and a more superficial and self-satisfied method to return them to us.
It's either a love or a hate. "Unfiltered" is not like Ostlund's cinema in general. It doesn't require half measures. It is the mark for the provocateurs, whose time will reveal if they are great stockbrokers or great artists. According to the filmmaker, "Without Filter” is a Marxist film. It was loved by "Le Figaro", "le Parisien", and "Liberation", while "le Monde" (and "l'Obs") hated it. Make the mistake.
Ostlund, originally from Styrso in southern Sweden, was encouraged by his mother, who is a landscape painter and teacher, to pursue his artistic talents. His first steps were made by filming the skiers he knew. This allowed him to become a director who specialized in extreme sports. He then went on to incorporate Gothenburg's film school and graduated in 2001. He was awarded the "Gummo" by Harmony Korine and the "Unknown Code" by Michael Haneke. These were two disturbing and arty films.
His second feature film "Play" is about white children who are extorted from black comrades by their parents without them reacting to fear of being called racists. The shouting match between the model and his wife at the Martinez Hotel elevator during the Cannes Film Festival inspired the spat in "Without Filter".
Pedro Almodovar, president of the Cannes jury, exclaimed that "The Square" is about the dictatorship and political correctness when he was awarded the palme de l'or five years back. Ruben Ostlund says, "All my films are about people trying face-saving."
Another of his hobbies is masculine cowardice. He is portrayed in "Snow Therapy", which earned him international fame. A man vacationing on winter sports trips becomes cowardly when an avalanche threatens his family. This is a snowball effect that causes a catastrophic snowball effect. "Snow Therapy", a play adaptation, was performed in Paris at the Theatre du Rond-Point with Julie Depardieu, Alex Lutz, and others.
Ruben Ostlund, his producer Kalle Borman, created an installation in Varnamo in 2014: a square drew on the ground that was designated "a sanctuary where trust, altruism, and freedom reign" and within which all of us have the same rights as well as the same duties. . The site is vandalized and made popular by protesters, beggars, and couples who meet there. It is the beginning point of "The Square", which is a comedy about the world contemporary art.
After being nominated for the Oscar for best foreign film in "The Square", Ruben Ostlund claims he turned down all offers to keep his artistic freedom. Americans who were supposed to finance "Without Filter" would have pulled out after reading the script. This forced the director to flee in search for investment. One year was lost, but another palm won.
