August 22, 2006

September: Ruben Östlund, Film Director

Ruben Östlund, our first Man of the month, is undoubtedly one of Sweden’s most talented young directors. His latest short film, Autobiographical Scene Number 68822, has already won a number of international prices and was nominated for best short movie at the European Film Awards.

The Styrsö native, who now resides in Gothenburg, made his big screen debut in 2004 with the widely acclaimed movie, Gitarrmongot. It shows the state of Sweden through the eyes of a very special twelve year old boy hammering his guitar in the streets of “Jöteborg”, not caring the least about what happens in the pastoral Allsång-på-Skansen-country that so often is mistaken for Sweden.

In Gitarrmongot Östlund uses a fixed camera for each of the 52 scenes making them individual peaces of art just loosely connected around a couple of themes. Every scene raises new, not always comfortable questions, and just like in reality there are no standard answers or schoolbook dramaturgy. It’s just as strange, irregular and inexplicable as life and above it all floats Östlund, playing god, doing everything in his power to keep the audience insecure and doubtful of his good intentions.

As disturbing as this might sound it’s actually pretty funny and definitely worth watching.

Currently Östlund is working on his second big screen movie scheduled to premiere in 2008. It is yet to be named, but Östlund promises the movie to be as uncomfortable and itchy as his previous work. So what better person to talk about male vanity with than a truly profound young man at the top of his game.

Honestly Ruben, how do you look at work?

Usely not to good. To be completely honest, sometimes I look awful. But when I got enough time and feel like it I can be kind of vane.

Is it true that you have to look a bit shabby to be taken seriously as an artist?

Maybe in a way, if you’re into Bukowsky and Stig Larsson and that kind of stuff, maybe you’ll want to look like you’ve been around for a while. But if I where to live a really harsh life just to look cool, then my artistical expression wouldn’t be the same. And then it wouldn’t be my own expression.

So that heroin chick artist look is nothing to strive for?

It looks good on some people, but certainly not on everyone. Usually it becomes very obvious if you try to look like someone your not. You know, some directors buy a hat. But if you’re a director and want to wear a hat, you have to earn a certain amount of credibility first. I wouldn’t dare to buy a hat. Not yet.

Is appearance important for artists?

Well, like you said, a lot of artists are vane in that sense that they want to look like artists. It lies in the nature of artists to take them selves very seriously. It’s because the “Von Oben-perspective” is the only perspective from which you can see clearly. If you lower yourself to street level you’re just going to get too emotional (laugh).

Generally speaking, how do you feel about a society that’s becoming increasingly vane?

So and so. Gitarrmongot is about showing things as they really are – without all the make up. It’s also about how the thought of not fitting in scares people. In some ways I oppose beauty ideals, but still, like everyone else, I want to make my self pretty sometimes. I think you have to accept that beauty ideals exist. All selective processes in society take appearance into account in some way.

You’ve been testing some Recipe for men products for a while. How does it feel?

It feels good, but it’s not the first time I’ve been using skincare products. I pay a visit to my wife’s bathroom cabinet now and then. Using this kind of stuff is a bit like putting on that director’s hat. In the beginning you don’t know if you’re man enough for it. But after a while it feels completely natural. I like the products, they have a medical look, but the feeling is more luxury than if you buy something at a pharmacy. It’s neat but not too fancy and the shaving gel works well for me because I have a beard and need to see where I’m shaving..