The Square

The Square

Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, Ruben Östlund’s The Square is a darkly comic and provocative satire about art, morality, and the fragile façade of modern civility. The film follows Christian (Claes Bang), a respected museum curator whose latest exhibition—a conceptual piece promoting trust and compassion—unravels in the face of scandal and absurdity.

Through a series of brilliantly uncomfortable encounters, Östlund exposes the hypocrisies of cultural elitism and the disconnect between ideals and behavior. The film’s razor-sharp humor and striking visual precision create an experience that is both intellectually challenging and wickedly entertaining.

By holding a mirror to our contradictions, The Square confronts audiences with a difficult question: how sincere is our empathy when it costs us nothing? The result is a biting and unforgettable portrait of the moral complexities of contemporary life.

Screening With:

Mildly Illegal

Student Shorts Showcase

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11 mins
Canada, 2017
Dir. Matt Close
Language: English