PLAY, 201

Sweden, France | DCP, Color, 118’ | Swedish, English, French
Director: Ruben Östlund
Cast: Anas Abdirahman, Sebastian Blyckert, Yannick Diakité
Inspired by a true story that took place in Gothenburg, the film follows a group of African immigrant children who manipulate wealthy white children into stealing their phones and other belongings. Östlund combines his keen observational approach to documentary filmmaking with captivating scenes to calmly convey the themes of social class, peer pressure, bullying, and exploitation. A forerunner of the director’s later, more acclaimed films, Play has been criticized by some critics as racist and by others as courageous.