Gothenburg Film Festival Honorary Chair Ruben Östlund himself could not attend during the inauguration when he was on recording in Budapest.
Unsurprisingly, he has nevertheless been reached by Minister of Culture Parisa Liljestrand’s elaborate inaugural speech at the Dragon in Gothenburg.
“Parisa Liljestrand talks about artistic freedom and freedom of speech and uses several fine words, but what is it that makes freedoms really exist?”, Östlund writes in a cultural article on Aftonbladet.
He continues to praise the Swedish Film Institute and Film in the West, and believes that none of his films would have been created without the film and cultural policy that was developed in the 1960s in Sweden.
“Unfortunately, it is not the cultural policy run by Sweden’s politicians today,” he writes.
Did not stop for the inauguration film
At the first day of the Film Festival, an expectant audience had gathered to pay tribute to the film. Parisa Liljestrand took the opportunity to criticize former ministers, and said that it is not the task of politics to be “best friend” with the industry.
“It is also not the task of politics to demand citizens on more and more tax money for not being able to stand up for their priorities,” the Minister of Culture said.
Liljestrand did not stop to see the inauguration film itself, which was considered by critics nonchalantly.
“She didn’t stay on the inauguration film two years ago either. Yes, you take the level, ”writes Östlund and continues:
“Sweden’s cultural policy and cultural politicians, or at least the PR department, must grow up and become less embarrassingly uneducated. Otherwise, they cannot present the motives that actually exist about why the area is important. “
SVT has sought Parisa Liljestrand, who has declined participation in an interview.