Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness is nominated for a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2018 he won the Palme d’Or for his feature film The Square. Tarik Saleh’s Boy from Heaven, Ali Abbasi’s Holy Spider and Cristian Mungiu’s R.M.N. have also been selectd for Official Competition. All four co-produced by Film i Väst. Kristoffer Borgli’s Sick of Myself and Hlynur Pálmason´s Godland are selected for Un Certain Regard.

– As proud co-producers we congratulate all nominees. Never before Film i Väst’s co-production have been represented in Official Competition in Cannes. We are extra proud of having two Swedish films among them, Ruben Östlunds Triangle of Sadness and Tarik Saleh’s Boy from Heaven. All six co-productions selected for the festival are shot or post-produced in Region Västra Götaland in west Sweden, says Kristina Börjeson, Head of Production at Film i Väst.

More about Film i Väst and Cannes here: https://filmivast.com/prides-prizes/

Film facts:

Boy from heaven by Tarik Saleh

Boy from Heaven is Tarik Saleh‘s political thriller about Adam, a fisherman‘s son, who is unwillingly drawn into the brutal struggle of power over the ancient Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Produced by Atmo, Kristina Åberg and Fredrik Zander, in co-production with Film i Väst. Part of the film was shot in Göteborg.

Adam, the son of a fisherman, is offered the ultimate privilege to study at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the epicenter of power of Sunni Islam. Shortly after his arrival in Cairo, the university’s highest ranking religious leader, the Grand Imam, suddenly dies and Adam soon becomes a pawn in a ruthless power struggle between Eqypt’s religious and political elite.

In the leading roles we see Tawfeek Barhom (The Way of the Wind, 2022, The Rhythm Section, 2020, The letter for the King, 2020, Bagdad Central, 2020, The Looming Tower, 2018, Mary Magdalene, 2018) as the fisherman’s son Adam and Fares Fares (The Contractor, 2022, Chernobyl, 2019, Westworld, 2018, The Nile Hilton Incident, 2017, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, 2016, The Commune, 2016, Zero Dark Thirty, 2012 et.al) as the corrupt security agent Ibrahim.

In other key roles we see Mehdi Dehbi (Messiah, 2020, A Most Wanted Man, 2014), Mohammad Bakri (Homeland, 2020, Le Bureau des Légendes 2017), Makram J. Khoury (The Way of the Wind, 2022, Messiah, 2020, Homeland, 2015) and Sherwan Haji (Toivon tuolla puolen, 2017), among others.

At the helm of his own screenplay, Tarik Saleh (The Contractor, 2022, Westworld, 2018, Tommy, 2014, Metropia, 2009, Gitmo – The new rules of war, 2005 et.al) brings the audience back to Cairo after his success with The Nile Hilton Incident (2017).

Shooting took place during June 25th and September 20th 2021 in Turkey, Egypt and Sweden.  In Istanbul the Al-Ashar Universtity was recreated in the historic Suleymaniye mosque.

BOY FROM HEAVEN is produced by Atmo/Kristina Åberg and Fredrik Zander, in co-production with Memento Production, Bufo, Film i Väst, Sveriges Television, Mikael Ahlström Films, Haymaker, ARTE France Cinéma, Post Control, Final Cut For Real, in association with Memento International, Memento Distribution and Movies Inspired, with the participation of Canal+, Ciné+, ARTE France, YLE and DR, and with the support from Svenska Filminstitutet, Eurimages, Aide aux Cinémas du Monde, Centre National du cinéma et de l’image animée – Institut Français, Region Île-de-France, in partnership with CNC Finnish Film Foundation, Business Finland – Audio Visual Production Incentive, The Danish Film Institute, Creative Europe Programme – MEDIA of the European Union and DR.

Triangle of Sadness by Ruben Östlund

Triangle of Sadness starts out in the fashion universe. In the company of two models, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), we find ourselves on an exclusive yacht cruise, surrounded by the crème de la crème of society and a Marxist sea captain (Woody Harrelson). When the yacht is caught in a storm and sinks, a handful of the passengers are washed ashore on a deserted island. Tables are turned in the ensuing struggle for survival, and a middle-aged Filipino cleaning lady comes out on top.

The cast also includes, among others, Zlatko Buric, Vicki Berlin and Henrik Dorsin.

Produced by Plattform Produktion, Erik Hemmendorff, in coproduction with Film i Väst, Essential Films, Coproduction Office, SVT, BBC Films, Arte France Cinéma och ZDF/Arte, TRT, Eurimages, BFI, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Det Danske Filminstitut, Hamburg Film Fund and Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Executive produced by Imperative Entertainment and 30West. Associated producers are Heretic, Bord Cadre & Sovereign Films and Piano Films. Danish coproducer is Per Damgaard Hansen for Coproduction Office APS. With support from Swedish Film Institute. International Sales: Coproduction Office.

Holy Spider by Ali Abbasi

A journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers by the so called “Spider Killer”, who believes he is cleansing the streets of sinners.

Produced by Profile Pictures, One Two Films, a co-production with Nordisk Film Production AB, Wild Bunch International, Film i Väst, Why Not Productions, ZDF/ARTE, ARTE France Cinéma. In cooperation with DR – Danish Broadcasting Corporation and SVT, In association with The Imaginarium Films, Rotor Film. Supported by The Danish Film Institute, Eurimages, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, FFA Filmförderungsanstalt, DFFF, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein. With support from Swedish Film Institute.

R.M.N. by Cristian Mungiu

Romanian director and screenwriter Christian Mungius’ drama R.M.N. has been selected for the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Produced by Mobra Films Romania and Why Not France, in co-production with Sean Wheelan, Filmgate Films, in co-production with Film i Väst and supported by Eurimages. A large part of the post production has taken place in Gothenburg with VFX by Filmgate AB and grading by CAN Film.

A few days before Christmas, Matthias returns from working in Germany to his native Transylvanian village eager to see his ex-lover Csilla and preoccupied about his old father, Otto. He wishes to implicate himself more in the education of his son, Rudi, left for too long in the care of his mother, Ana, and to rid him of the unresolved fears that have gripped him. When a few new workers are hired at the small factory that Csilla manages, the peace of the community is disturbed, underlying fears grip the adults, and frustrations, conflicts and passions erupt through the thin sliver of apparent understanding and calm. A story about the deep springs of human behavior in the face of startling realities, about relationships and how we all relate to an unsettling future.

A non-judgemental analysis of the driving forces of human behaviour when confronted with the unknown – from multi-award-winning director Cristian Mungiu.

Christian Mungiu has previously celebrated great successes at Cannes: the Directing Prize for Graduation (Bacalaureat) in 2016, the screenplay prize and best female actress for Beyond the Hills (2011) and a Palme d’Or and the FIPRESCI Prize for 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days (2007). He has also been a producer for Film i Väst’s and Filmgate Films’ co-productions The Father Who Moves Mountains and Lemonade.

Godland

Hlynur Palmason’s UCR-selected film Godland is set in the late 19th century, a young Danish priest travels to a remote part of Iceland to build a church and photograph its people. But the deeper he goes into the unforgiving landscape, the more he strays from his purpose, the mission and morality.

The film is produced by Snowglobe (Denmark) in collaboration with Join Motion Pictures (Iceland) and in co-production with Maneki Films (France), Film i Väst and Garagefilm International (Sweden), with support from DFI, IFC, CNC, SFI, NFTF, Creative Europe MEDIA, Hornafjörður Municipality, Sass, DR, Rúv, Sena, Scanbox and New Europe Film Sales. Producers are Katrin Pors, Anton Máni Svansson, Eva Jakobsen and Mikkel Jersin and co-producers Didar Domehri, Mimmi Spång, Anthony Muir, Peter Possne and Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson. Jan Naszewski’s Warsaw-based sales outlet New Europe Film Sales is selling the film.

Sick of Myself

Auteur Kristoffer Borgli`s feature film Sick of Myself is invited to Cannes’s Un Certain Regard program. Sick of Myself is director and scriptwriter Kristoffer Borgli`s second feature film after his debut DRIB, which had its world premiere at SXSW in 2017.

Signe (Kristine Kujath Thorp) and Thomas (Eirik Sæther) are in an unhealthy, competitive relationship that takes a vicious turn when Thomas suddenly breaks through as a contemporary artist. In response, Signe makes a desperate attempt to regain her status by creating a new persona hell-bent on attracting attention and sympathy.

Kristoffer Borgli is based in Los Angeles and has previously created a large audience through several short films, music videos and commercials. His debut film DRIB had its world premiere at the film festival in SXSW, while his latest short film Former Cult Member Hears Music For The First Time was screened in competition in Sundance in 2020.

Sick of Myself is produced by Dyveke Bjørkly Graver and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar for Oslo Pictures in co-production with Mimmi Spång, Garagefilm International and Film i Väst. Sick of Myself was filmed in Oslo and Gothenburg in the autumn of 2021.