Overview
The Square (2017) Nanovic Institute Film Series
Swedish director Ruben Östlund made a large footprint with his 2014 film Force Majeure and followed that success by winning the Palme d’Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival with The Square, which is now both nominated and a frontrunner for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. Christian (Claes Bang) has both an effervescent and deeply meaningful post as the respected curator of a contemporary art museum, which yields both laughs at and contemplation of both the art and his own value. He commissions a piece called "The Square," which invites passersby to perform altruistic deeds, reminding them of their role as responsible fellow human beings. The fallout from the piece as well as Christian’s own ethical dilemmas create very public performances of shame and morality, set in contrast and comparison to the art they commodify and sell creating an art world lampoon with soul.