Swedish filmmaker and author Sigge Eklund has directed Ruben, a feature documentary about Ruben Östlund and the making of his latest film, The Entertainment System Is Down. 

The Entertainment System Is Down was shot over the last few years and is currently in post-production. The film is expected to compete at next year’s Cannes Film Festival, and, according to the synopsis of Eklund’s documentary, it is a “project driven by an almost impossible ambition: to become the first filmmaker in history to win three Palme d’Or awards at the Cannes Film Festival.”

The doc’s synopsis continues: “The documentary begins in 2022, just after the premiere of Triangle of Sadness. Ruben is at the peak of the film world, yet already consumed by the need to create something even bigger, bolder, and more uncompromising than before. The question is: what should the next film be about — and what price is he willing to pay to achieve his goal?

“Eventually, an idea emerges: an entire film set on a long-haul flight where the entertainment system suddenly stops working. A full-scale airplane set is constructed inside a massive hangar in Budapest, and the production quickly turns into a high-wire act — technically, financially, and emotionally.”

Ruben is produced by Stockholm Syndrome and Tiisch Film in co-production with SVT and Film I Väst. SF Studios is the distributor. The project was announced this afternoon at Film i Väst’s annual Cannes press conference. Film i Väst is the co-producer of two features in the main competition this year at Cannes. Those titles are Fjord, directed by Christian Mungiu, and Gentle Monster, directed by Marie Kreutzer.

“We’re incredibly proud of our co-productions being selected for competition in Cannes for the 10^th consecutive year, which shows Film i Väst’s strong international position”, Kristina Börjeson, Head of Production at Film i Väst, said in a statement.

“Simultaneously, we’re presenting eight new co-productions, all of them either being shot or post-produced in Västra Götaland. We look forward to them reaching festivals and audiences in the coming years.”