In 2017, Plattform Produktion released The Square, a film that repeatedly uses the name of Argentine director, writer and actress Lola Arias, without her consent. Now (and finally), the production company of the Swedish director Ruben Östlund apologized to the artist.
After six years, the Argentine director, writer and actress Lola Arias received a public apology from the production company Platform Production, from the Swedish director Ruben Östlund and Erik Hemmendorff. What had happened? In 2017, this company launched the squarea film directed by Östlund that I use the name of the Argentine artist several times without her consent.
the square follow Christian (Claes Bang) a curator at a Swedish museum of contemporary art who wants to promote an exhibition that encourages altruism. However, the team he hires to handle publicity places the museum in the eye of the media storm. When is the name used? Lola Arias? The Argentine artist, based in Berlin, is cited as nothing more and nothing less than the creator of the work of art. They even mention it in the trailer.
Initially, arias he was to have a minor role in the film. However, in the final cut her role was removed, but her name was kept, without her authorization. In the squarewinner of the 2017 Cannes Palme d’Or, describe her as an “Argentine artist and sociologist and author of the museum’s work.”
In 2017, Lola Arias filed suit in Berlin against Platform Production, arguing that the production had used his name without his consent. Jakob Braeuerthe artist’s German lawyer, said that the objective was to prohibit the production company from exploiting the film on any platform that made reference to arias.
A few years later, Platform Production he finally decided to issue a public apology. “We understand that the use of the name of Lola Ariaswhich was not discussed as clearly as it should have been, created a misunderstanding by connecting his work as an artist with the artwork the square shown in the movie.” said the producer, according to Deadline.
“After meeting the artist in Berlin and discussing the misperception caused, we would like to emphasize that the square is a work of art originally created by Ruben Östlund and Kalle Boman for the city of Värnamo, Sweden in 2015. All references to the artist Lola Arias as creator of the artwork is fictional”, the statement continues. “We want to apologize to Lola Arias because of the way his name was used in the fictional film the square”, he concludes.
In addition to Bang, The Square features the performance of Elisabeth Moss, Dominic West, Terry Notary, among others. This film not only won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, but was also nominated for the oscar for Best Foreign Film in 2018. In 2022, the director Ruben Östlund again won a Palme d’Or for Triangle Of Sadnessdelivery that had three nominations for the Oscars 2023.