INVOLUNTARY [DE OFRIVILLIGA]
by Ruben Östlund Sweden 2008 35 mm 95 min. OV Engl. ST
Sweden’s nomination for best foreign language film 2010 spotlights social behavior of people in five episodes.
A group of people comes together to meet New Year together. Two girls pose for a camera to produce sexy images for youtube, pushing each other higher and higher until they strip. Drunken pals test boundaries – are mutual blowjobs going too far? A bus driver keeps his passengers hostage until the one reports, who broke the coach’s toilet. A teacher explains the phenomenon of peer pressure by means of a test with pictures. Östlund, a self-proclaimed disciple of Roy Andersson, refuses a narrative structure and focuses on moments, when an individual could act.
