The Triangle of Sadness director has won two Golden Palm Awards and earned two Oscar nominations.
Ruben Östlund knows it sounds “absurd” to complain about winning awards, however, he admits they add another level of “pressure” for filmmakers.
My Oscar Book:
Awards create self-confidence or make you more insecure
During recent conversation with Mother Couch writer-director Niclas Larsson, the Triangle of Sadness director was asked if “awards create self-confidence or make you more insecure?”
“It makes you more insecure, ” Östlund responded. “For me it was a hundred percent like this. Winning one Golden Palm put more pressure on me, but winning two Golden Palms took away a lot of pressure because that means I wasn’t a one hit wonder. But then also I need pressure in order to perform.”
Östlund won his first Palme for The Square in 2017 and then again in 2022 for Triangle of Sadness.
Though he noted that “it’s completely absurd to say these things,” the filmmaker also recognizes that “pressure” can help propel people toward their goals.
“For me, the goal is to create a bar that is pushed up and to create a goal,” Östlund explained. “I think a lot of people consider me very cocky in a way, but for me, you say it because it creates something that makes it possible to push something.”
Östlund has also earned two Oscar nominations for Triangle of Sadness, including best directing and best original screenplay. The film also scored a best picture nod, while The Square received best foreign language film nomination.
