Corrie Film Club

On Sunday 14th February at 8pm the Corrie Film Club is showing Force Majeure.

Force Majeure is a 2014 Swedish drama film directed by Ruben Östlund. It follows the marital tension resulting from an avalanche during which the husband, named Tomas, is believed by his wife to have prioritized his own escape over the safety of his family. Filming took place at Les Arcs, a ski resort in Savoie.

The film’s title, “Force Majeure”, is based on a French legal term which is the equivalent of a superior force or unforeseen accident, like an “Act of God”: a disaster that is not covered by one’s insurance policy, or a disaster which relieves both parties of the obligations of the contract until the disaster is over.

Ruben Östlund attributed the inspiration for the film’s key scenes to a few viral YouTube videos which he felt corroborated the plausible situation and emotions of the characters. The director reasoned that “ … if someone captured an event or action or pang of emotion on camera and uploaded to the Internet, then it happened in real life. And it could happen in ‘Force Majeure’”.

Force Majeure was acclaimed upon release, with critics praising its script and cinematography. It won the Best Film award at the 50th Guldbagge Awards, and was named one of the best films of 2014 by various publications.