The Film That Lit My Fuse is a Deadline video series that aims to provide an antidote to headlines about industry uncertainty by swinging the conversation back to the creative ambitions, formative influences and inspirations of some of today’s great screen artists.
Today’s subject is Ruben Östlund, who finds himself in the center of the Oscar race with Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay nominations for Triangle of Sadness after winning the Palme d’Or when the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last May.
Before the Swedish filmmaker began turning out sharp satires like Force Majeure and the Cannes winner The Square, his passion and introduction to the craft came with directing skiing films. That brought him to Gothenburg, and he began establishing a name on the festival circuit when his short Incident by a Bank won a prize at Berlin. Since then, his rise has been steady.
Watch here to see the films that helped shape his path.