Force Majeure (Sweden)

During a skiing vacation in the French Alps, a Swedish family experiences a close call with a controlled avalanche (which was actually shot in B.C.). The father's reaction, to grab his iPhone instead of his children, triggers latent tensions between husband and wife. Ruben Östlund observations of the follies of human behaviour and relations ring true, often in unexpectedly hilarious ways. It's an indictment of the male ego but female insecurity (particularly in relation to monogamy and marital expectations) is also indirectly critiqued. Ultimately, it's an insightful, riveting look at our ability to embrace or fear risk as part of life (underlined by the ending) and love. One of the gems of this year's festival, it's Sweden's entry for the best foreign language film at the Oscars, and one to catch when it has a theatrical run in Vancouver later this year.

No remaining screenings.