Ruben Östlund’s satirical comedy Triangle of Sadness swept the board at the European Film Awards, with Croatian Zlatko Burić taking the prize for Best Actor.
Headed by Istria-based writer and producer Mike Downey, the European Film Academy has been staging its annual gala since 1988, its awards considered the European Oscar.
At the 35th edition in Reykjavík, Osijek-born Zlatko Burić became the first Croatian to receive the European Oscar for his portrayal of a Russian tycoon in Östlund’s dark drama set on a luxury yacht. The role is familiar territory for this former member of Zagreb’s influential Kugla Glumište theatre group – Burić was a Russian billionaire in the apocalyptic movie, 2012.
Triangle of Sadness also won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. For the cast, including Hollywood star Woody Harrelson, the Iceland reunion was bitter sweet, given the untimely death of rising star Charlbi Dean last August. Swedish director Östlund paid tribute to the young actress, who passed away at the age of 32.
For Zlatko Burić, based in Denmark for the last 40 years, the award is also recognition of his increasingly prominent international profile, including a role in the recent US action drama Mayday, premiered at Sundance in 2021.