In 2006, in the centre of Gothenburg, a group of teenagers from African immigrant families devise a complex game of deception, manipulation and humiliation in order to steal the mobile phones of white and Asian boys. Instead of physical violence, the offenders used a good cop-bad cop strategy, playing off the stereotypes about black immigrants in order to intimidate their victims. One of Östlund’s most unsettling works, Play caused widespread controversy upon its release in Sweden and sparked a public debate about race, class and the abuse of power. Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness (Palme d’Or 2022) is also screening in this year’s Main Program.

Subtitles: EN, HR