Lars Von Trier
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Lars von Trier (
The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Trier; born 30 April 1956) is a Danish film director and screenwriter. Beginning in the late-1960s as a
child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage, television, or in film, movies. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associa ...
working on Danish television series ''Secret Summer'', von Trier's career has spanned more than five decades. Considered a major figure of the European film industry, he and his works have been variously described as ambitious and provocative, as well as technically innovative. His films offer confrontational examinations of existential, social, psychosexual, and political issues, and deal in subjects including mercy, sacrifice, and
mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...
. He frequently collaborates with the actors Jens Albinus, Jean-Marc Barr, Udo Kier and
Stellan Skarsgård Stellan John Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier, appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2003), ''Melancholia' ...
. Von Trier co-created the
avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...
filmmaking movement Dogme 95 alongside fellow director Thomas Vinterberg and co-founded the Danish film production company Zentropa, the films from which have sold more than 350million tickets and garnered eight Academy Award nominations. Von Trier has been the subject of criticisms and controversies.
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
, in addition to awarding his films on numerous occasions, once listed him as for making a
Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...
joke during an interview. Animal harm on '' Manderlay''s set, and
graphic violence Graphic violence refers to the depiction of especially explicit or detailed acts of violence in mass media. It may be real, simulated live action, or animated. Intended for viewing by mature audiences, ''graphic'' in this context is a synonym ...
and
unsimulated sex In the film industry, unsimulated sex is the presentation of sex scenes in which actors genuinely perform the depicted sex acts, rather than simulating them. Although it is ubiquitous in films intended as pornographic, it is very uncommon in ...
in some of his films have drawn criticism, and he has also been accused of mistreatment and negligence towards actresses during the filming process, including
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
.


Early life and education

Born Lars Trier in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark, north of
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
, his parents are Inger Høst and Ulf Trier. He later learned from Inger's deathbed that his biological father was , Inger's former boss at Denmark's Ministry of Social Affairs and a World War II resistance fighter. He studied
film theory Film theory is a set of scholarly approaches within the academic discipline of film or cinema studies that began in the 1920s by questioning the formal essential attributes of motion pictures; and that now provides conceptual frameworks for und ...
at the
University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University. ...
and film direction at the National Film School of Denmark. At 25, he won two Best School Film awards at the Munich International Festival of Film Schools for ''Nocturne'' and ''Last Detail''. The same year, he added the
nobiliary particle A nobiliary particle is a type of onomastic particle used in a surname or family name in many Western cultures to signal the nobility of a family. The particle used varies depending on the country, language and period of time. In some languages, it ...
"
von The term () is used in German surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means or . Nobility directories like the often abbreviate the noble term to ''v.'' ...
" to his name, possibly as a satirical homage to the equally self-invented titles of directors
Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim, ; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, screenwriter, actor, and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of ...
and
Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg (; born Jonas Sternberg; May 29, 1894 – December 22, 1969) was an American filmmaker whose career successfully spanned the transition from the Silent film, silent to the Sound film, sound era, during which he worked with mos ...
, and saw his graduation film '' Images of Liberation'' released as a theatrical feature.


Career


1984–1994: Career beginnings and ''Europa'' trilogy

In 1984, ''
The Element of Crime ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'', von Trier's breakthrough film, received twelve awards at seven international festivals including the Technical Grand Prize at
Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...
, and a nomination for the
Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...
. The film's slow, non-linear pace, innovative and multi-leveled plot design, and dark dreamlike visual effects combine to create an allegory for traumatic European historical events. Von Trier's next film, ''
Epidemic An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of hosts in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infection ...
'' (1987), was also shown at
Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...
in the
Un Certain Regard (; 'A Certain Glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob. The section presents 20 films with unusua ...
section, and featured two story lines that ultimately collide: the chronicle of two filmmakers (played by vonTrier and screenwriter Niels Vørse) in the midst of developing a new project, and a dark science fiction tale of a futuristic plaguethe very film von Trier and Vørsel are depicted making. He next directed ''
Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...
'' (1988) for television, based on a screenplay by Carl Th. Dreyer and starring Udo Kier, which won the Jean d'Arcy prize in France. Von Trier has referred to his films as falling into thematic and stylistic
trilogies A trilogy is a set of three distinct works that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games. Three-part works that are considered components of ...
. This pattern began with ''
The Element of Crime ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' (1984), the first of the ''Europa'' trilogy, which illuminated traumatic periods in Europe both in the past and the future. It also includes ''Epidemic''. He completed the trilogy in 1991 with '' Europa'' (released as ''Zentropa'' in the US), which won the Prix duJury at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival, and picked up awards at other major festivals. In 1990 he also directed the music video for the song "Bakerman" by Laid Back. This video was re-used in 2006 by the English DJ and artist Shaun Baker in his remake of the song. Seeking financial independence and creative control over their projects, in 1992 vonTrier and producer
Peter Aalbæk Jensen Peter Aalbæk Jensen (born 8 April 1956 in Osted) is a Denmark, Danish film producer who in 1992 with director Lars von Trier founded the Danish film company Zentropa and later its huge studio complex Filmbyen. His father was writer Erik Aalbæk J ...
founded the film production company Zentropa Entertainment, which has sold more than 350 million tickets and was nominated for multiple
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
as of 2016. Named after a fictional railway company in ''Europa'', their most recent film at the time, Zentropa has produced many movies other than Trier's own, as well as several television series. It has also produced hardcore sex films: '' Constance'' (1998), ''
Pink Prison ''Pink Prison'' is a 1999 erotic film for women, directed by Danish director Lisbeth Lynghøft, and produced by Puzzy Power, a division of Lars von Trier's film company Zentropa. As the follow-up to ''Constance (1998 film), Constance'' (1998), it ...
'' (1999), ''HotMen CoolBoyz'' (2000), and '' All About Anna'' (2005). To make money for his newly founded company, vonTrier made '' The Kingdom'' (Danish title ''Riget'', 1994) and '' The KingdomII'' (''RigetII'', 1997), a pair of miniseries recorded in the Danish national hospital, the name "Riget" being a colloquial name for the hospital known as Rigshospitalet (lit. The Kingdom's Hospital) in Danish. A projected third season of the series was derailed by the death in 1998 of
Ernst-Hugo Järegård Ernst-Hugo Alfred Järegård (12 December 1928 – 6 September 1998) was a Swedish actor. Biography Järegård was born in Ystad. He received his acting training at Malmö City Theatre. From 1962 he was an actor in Sweden's prominent Royal ...
, who played Dr. Helmer, and that of Kirsten Rolffes, who played Mrs. Drusse, in 2000, two of the major characters, which led to the series' cancellation.


1995–2000: Dogme 95 manifesto, and ''Golden Heart'' trilogy

In 1995, von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg presented their manifesto for a new cinematic movement, which they called Dogme 95. The Dogme95 concept, which led to international interest in Danish film, inspired filmmakers all over the world. It required filmmakers to shirk several common techniques in modern filmmaking, such as studio lighting, sets, costumes, and non-diegetic music. In 2008, together with their fellow Dogme directors Kristian Levring and
Søren Kragh-Jacobsen Søren Kragh-Jacobsen (; born 2 March 1947, in Copenhagen) is a Danish film director, musician, and songwriter. He was one of the founders and practitioners of the Dogme95 project, for creating films without artificial technology or techniques. ...
, vonTrier and Thomas Vinterberg received the European film award for European Achievement in World Cinema. In 1996 von Trier conducted an unusual theatrical experiment in Copenhagen involving 53 actors, which he titled ''Psychomobile1: The World Clock''. A documentary chronicling the project was directed by Jesper Jargil, and was released in 2000 with the title '' De Udstillede'' (The Exhibited). Von Trier achieved international success with his ''Golden Heart'' trilogy. Each film in the trilogy is about naive heroines who maintain their "golden hearts" despite the tragedies they experience. This trilogy consists of ''
Breaking the Waves ''Breaking the Waves'' is a 1996 psychological romantic melodrama film directed and co-written by Lars von Trier and starring Emily Watson in her feature film acting debut, and with Stellan Skarsgård, a frequent collaborator with von Trier. ...
'' (1996), '' The Idiots'' (1998), and ''
Dancer in the Dark ''Dancer in the Dark'' is a 2000 musical psychological tragedy film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It stars Icelandic musician Björk as a factory worker who suffers from a degenerative eye condition and is saving for an operation to p ...
'' (2000). While all three films are sometimes associated with the Dogme 95 movement, ''The Idiots'' was the only one to meet all the necessary criteria to be "certified" as such. ''Breaking the Waves'' won the Grand Prix at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
and featured
Emily Watson Emily Margaret Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of ''Twelfth Night'' and ''Uncle Vanya'' at the Donmar Ware ...
, who was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a lead ...
. Its grainy images, and hand-held photography, pointed towards Dogme95 but violated several of the manifesto's rules. The second film in the trilogy, ''The Idiots'', was nominated for a
Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...
, with which he was presented in person at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, despite his dislike of traveling. In 2000, von Trier premiered ''
Dancer in the Dark ''Dancer in the Dark'' is a 2000 musical psychological tragedy film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It stars Icelandic musician Björk as a factory worker who suffers from a degenerative eye condition and is saving for an operation to p ...
'', a musical featuring Icelandic musician
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
, which won the
Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...
at
Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...
. The song "I've Seen It All" (co-written by vonTrier) received an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nomination for Best Original Song.


2003–2008: ''Land of Opportunities'' trilogy and other works

'' The Five Obstructions'' (2003), made by vonTrier and Jørgen Leth, is a documentary that incorporates lengthy sections of
experimental film Experimental film or avant-garde cinema is a mode of filmmaking that does not apply standard cinematic conventions, instead adopting Non-narrative film, non-narrative forms or alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working. Many e ...
s. The premise is that vonTrier challenges Leth, his friend and mentor, to remake his 1967 experimental short '' The Perfect Human'' five times, each time with a different obstacle. His next proposed trilogy, ''Land of Opportunities'', consists of ''
Dogville ''Dogville'' is a 2003 experimental drama film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It features an ensemble cast led by Nicole Kidman, Lauren Bacall, Paul Bettany, Chloë Sevigny, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier, Ben Gazzara, Patricia Clarks ...
'' (2003), '' Manderlay'' (2005), and the unmade '. The first two installments were shot with the same distinctive, extremely stylized approach, with the actors performing on a bare
sound stage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a large, soundproof structure, building or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or te ...
with no decoration, buildings' walls marked by chalk lines on the floor, a style inspired by 1970s televised theatre. ''Dogville'' starred
Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...
as Grace Margaret Mulligan, a role taken by
Bryce Dallas Howard Bryce Dallas Howard (born March 2, 1981) is an American actress and director. The eldest child of filmmaker Ron Howard, she studied acting at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. While portraying Characters in As You Like It#Rosali ...
for ''Manderlay''. Both films feature an ensemble cast including Harriet Andersson,
Lauren Bacall Betty Joan Perske (September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014), professionally known as Lauren Bacall ( ), was an American actress. She was named the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the America ...
,
James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...
,
Danny Glover Danny Glover ( ; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, producer, and political activist. Over his career he has received List of awards and nominations received by Danny Glover, numerous accolades including the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian A ...
, and
Willem Dafoe William James "Willem" Dafoe ( ; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. Known for his prolific career portraying diverse roles in both mainstream and arthouse films, he is the recipient of various accolades including a Volpi Cup Award for ...
. The films question various issues relating to American society, such as intolerance and slavery. In 2006, von Trier released the Danish-language comedy film, '' The Boss of It All'', which was shot using an experimental process he named Automavision, involving the director choosing the best possible fixed camera position, then allowing a computer to randomly choose when to tilt, pan, or zoom. He followed this with an autobiographical film, ''The Early Years: Erik Nietzsche Part 1'' in 2007, which von Trier wrote and Jacob Thuesen directed, a film that tells the story of vonTrier's years as a student at the National Film School of Denmark. It stars Jonatan Spang as vonTrier's alter ego, called "Erik Nietzsche", and is narrated by vonTrier himself, with all main characters being based on real people from the Danish film industry. The thinly veiled portrayals include Jens Albinus as director Nils Malmros, Dejan Čukić as screenwriter Mogens Rukov, and Søren Pilmark.


2009–2014: ''Depression'' trilogy

The ''Depression'' trilogy consists of ''
Antichrist In Christian eschatology, Antichrist (or in broader eschatology, Anti-Messiah) refers to a kind of entity prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ and falsely substitute themselves as a savior in Christ's place before ...
'', ''
Melancholia Melancholia or melancholy (from ',Burton, Bk. I, p. 147 meaning black bile) is a concept found throughout ancient, medieval, and premodern medicine in Europe that describes a condition characterized by markedly depressed mood, bodily complain ...
'', and '' Nymphomaniac''. The three films star Charlotte Gainsbourg, and deal with characters who suffer depression or grief in different ways. This trilogy is said to represent the depression that Trier himself experiences. ''Antichrist'' follows "a grieving couple who retreat to their cabin in the woods, hoping a return to Eden will repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage; but nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse". The film stars
Willem Dafoe William James "Willem" Dafoe ( ; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. Known for his prolific career portraying diverse roles in both mainstream and arthouse films, he is the recipient of various accolades including a Volpi Cup Award for ...
and Gainsbourg. It premiered in competition at the 2009
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
, where the festival's jury honoured the movie by giving the Best Actress award to Gainsbourg. ''Melancholia'', released in 2011, is an apocalyptic drama about two depressive sisters played by Kirsten Dunst and Gainsbourg, the former of whom marries just before a rogue planet is about to collide with Earth. The film was in competition at the
2011 Cannes Film Festival The 64th Cannes Film Festival took place from 11 to 22 May 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition. American filmmaker Terrence Malick won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, for t ...
, where it won the Best Actress award for Dunst. Following ''Melancholia'', von Trier began the production of ''Nymphomaniac'', a film about the sexual awakening of a woman played by Gainsbourg. In early December 2013, a four-hour version was shown to the press in a private preview session. The cast also included
Stellan Skarsgård Stellan John Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier, appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2003), ''Melancholia' ...
(in his sixth film for von Trier), Shia LaBeouf,
Willem Dafoe William James "Willem" Dafoe ( ; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. Known for his prolific career portraying diverse roles in both mainstream and arthouse films, he is the recipient of various accolades including a Volpi Cup Award for ...
, Jamie Bell,
Christian Slater Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor. He made his film debut with a leading role in '' The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakout role as Jason "J.D." Dean, a sociopath ...
, and
Uma Thurman Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 and May 1986 cover ...
. In response to claims that he had merely created a " porn film", Skarsgård stated "... if you look at this film, it's actually a really bad porn movie, even if you fast forward. And after a while you find you don't even react to the explicit scenes. They become as natural as seeing someone eating a bowl of cereal." For its public release in the United Kingdom, the film was divided into two volumes. The film premiered in the UK on 22February 2014. In interviews prior to the film's release, Gainsbourg and co-star
Stacy Martin Stacy Martin (born 20 March 1990) is a French actress. Her breakthrough role was playing Joe as a young woman in Lars von Trier's 2013 drama film '' Nymphomaniac''. She is a frequent collaborator with Brady Corbet, having appeared in his films ...
revealed that
prosthetic In medicine, a prosthesis (: prostheses; from ), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth (Congenital, congenital disord ...
vaginas, body doubles, and special effects were used for the production of the film. Martin also stated that the film's characters were a reflection of the director himself, and referred to the experience as an "honour" that she enjoyed. The film was also released in two "volumes" for the Australian release on 20 March 2014, with an interval separating the back-to-back sections. In February 2014, an uncensored version of ''Volume I'' was shown at the Berlin Film Festival, with no announcement of when or if the complete five-and-a-half-hour ''Nymphomaniac'' would be made available to the public. The complete version premiered at the 2014
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...
and was shortly afterward released in a limited theatrical run worldwide that fall.


2015–2018: ''The House That Jack Built'' and return to Cannes

In 2015, von Trier began work on a new feature film, '' The House That Jack Built'', which was originally planned as an eight-part television series. The story is about a serial killer, seen from the murderer's point of view. It starred
Matt Dillon Matthew Raymond Dillon (born February 18, 1964) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and two Independent Spirit Awards alongside nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, ...
in the title role, alongside Bruno Ganz,
Riley Keough Danielle Riley Keough ( ; born May 29, 1989) is an American actress. Born into the Presley family, she is the oldest daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and the eldest grandchild of Elvis Presley. She initially started her career as a model from 200 ...
and Sofie Gråbøl. Shooting started in March 2017 in Sweden, before moving to Copenhagen in May. In February 2017, von Trier explained that the film "celebrates the idea that life is evil and soulless, which is sadly proven by the recent rise of the ''Homo trumpus'' – the rat king". The film premiered at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
in May 2018. Despite more than a hundred walkouts by audience members, the film still received a 10-minute standing ovation.


2019–present: ''The Kingdom'' trilogy

After the release of ''The House That Jack Built'', von Trier planned to produce ''Études'', an anthology film consisting of ten black and white segments, each ten minutes long, inspired by the
musical form In music, ''form'' refers to the structure of a musical composition or musical improvisation, performance. In his book, ''Worlds of Music'', Jeff Todd Titon suggests that a number of organizational elements may determine the formal structure of a ...
; though it never came to fruition In December 2020, it was announced he would produce a belated third and final season of '' The Kingdom'', titled ''The Kingdom Exodus'', with Søren Pilmark returning as Jørgen 'Hook' Krogshøj, Ghita Nørby as Rigmor Mortensen, alongside a new cast including
Mikael Persbrandt Mikael Åke Persbrandt (; born 25 September 1963) is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films, he is perhaps best known for playing Gunvald Larsson in the ''Beck'' series of movies. He is internationally known for his starring role in the Academy Awar ...
as Dr. Helmer, Jr. It was shot in 2021, consisting of five episodes released in November 2022. The miniseries premiered out of competition at the
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...
as a five-hour feature-length film. It received mixed reviews from critics. In 2024, von Trier announced he was working on a new film titled ''After'' which will benefit from funding from the Danish Film Institute.
Stellan Skarsgård Stellan John Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier, appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2003), ''Melancholia' ...
was cast as the film's lead. Filming is expected to begin in summer 2025, with von Trier's health conditions reflected in the plot of the film.


Aesthetics, themes, and style of working


Themes

Von Trier's films deal with themes of religious imagery and his treatment of subjects such as mercy, sacrifice, and
mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...
, confrontational examination of existential, social, and political issues. Most of the films depicted in various forms of politics and religions, such as
Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...
in '' Europa'',
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
in ''
Breaking the Waves ''Breaking the Waves'' is a 1996 psychological romantic melodrama film directed and co-written by Lars von Trier and starring Emily Watson in her feature film acting debut, and with Stellan Skarsgård, a frequent collaborator with von Trier. ...
'' and '' The House that Jack Built'',
Atheism Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the Existence of God, existence of Deity, deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the ...
in ''
Dogville ''Dogville'' is a 2003 experimental drama film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It features an ensemble cast led by Nicole Kidman, Lauren Bacall, Paul Bettany, Chloë Sevigny, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier, Ben Gazzara, Patricia Clarks ...
'', and Anti-bourgeois in '' The Idiots''.


Influences

Von Trier is heavily influenced by the work of
Carl Theodor Dreyer Carl Theodor Dreyer (; 3 February 1889 – 20 March 1968), commonly known as Carl Th. Dreyer, was a Danish film director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers in history, his movies are noted for emotional austerity ...
and the film '' The Night Porter''. He was so inspired by the short film '' The Perfect Human'', directed by Jørgen Leth, that he challenged Leth to redo the short five times in the feature film '' The Five Obstructions''.


Writing

Von Trier's writing style has been heavily influenced by his work with actors on set, as well as the Dogme 95 manifesto that he co-authored. In an interview with ''Creative Screenwriting'', he described his process as "writing a sketch and keep ngthe story simple...then part of the script work is with the actors." He again cites Dreyer as an influence, pointing to his method of overwriting his scripts, then significantly cutting the length down. Reflecting on the storytelling across his body of work, von Trier said, "all the stories are about a realist who comes into conflict with life. I'm not crazy about real life, and real life is not crazy about me."


Filming techniques

Von Trier has said that "a film should be like a stone in your shoe". To create original art he feels that filmmakers must distinguish themselves stylistically from other films, often by placing restrictions on the film making process. The most famous such restriction is the cinematic "vow of chastity" of the Dogme 95 movement. In ''
Dancer in the Dark ''Dancer in the Dark'' is a 2000 musical psychological tragedy film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It stars Icelandic musician Björk as a factory worker who suffers from a degenerative eye condition and is saving for an operation to p ...
'', he used jump shots and dramatically different color palettes and camera techniques for the "real world" and musical portions of the film,. Von Trier often shoots digitally and operates the camera himself, preferring to continuously shoot the actors in-character without stopping between takes. In ''Dogville'', because there were no walls between the "buildings" on the set, actors needed to stay in character for hours, even when not part of the scene being filmed. These techniques often put great strain on the actors, most famously with
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
during the filming of ''Dancer in the Dark''. Von Trier would later return to explicit images in ''
Antichrist In Christian eschatology, Antichrist (or in broader eschatology, Anti-Messiah) refers to a kind of entity prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ and falsely substitute themselves as a savior in Christ's place before ...
'' (2009), exploring darker themes, but he ran into problems when he tried once more with '' Nymphomaniac'', which had 90 minutes cut out (reducing it from five-and-one-half to four hours) for its international release in 2013 in order to be commercially viable, taking nearly a year to be shown complete anywhere in an uncensored director's cut. While Lars von Trier commissioned new musical compositions for his early films, his more recent work has made use of existing music. With ''Nymphomaniac'', the principle of musical eclecticism is also applied within the film. He often heavily edits compositions to manipulate and provoke the audience.


Approach to actors

In an interview for IndieWire, von Trier compared his approach to actors with "how a chef would work with a potato or a piece of meat", clarifying that working with actors has differed on each film based on the production conditions. He has occasionally courted controversy by his treatment of his lead actresses. He and
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
famously fell out during the shooting of ''
Dancer in the Dark ''Dancer in the Dark'' is a 2000 musical psychological tragedy film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It stars Icelandic musician Björk as a factory worker who suffers from a degenerative eye condition and is saving for an operation to p ...
'', to the point where she would abscond from filming for days at a time. She stated of von Trier, who shattered a monitor while it was next to her, that "you can take quite sexist film directors like
Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
or
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...
and still they are the one that provide the soul to their movies. In Lars von Trier's case it is not so and he knows it. He needs a female to provide his work soul. And he envies them and hates them for it. So he has to destroy them during the filming. And hide the evidence."
Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...
, who starred in von Trier's ''
Dogville ''Dogville'' is a 2003 experimental drama film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It features an ensemble cast led by Nicole Kidman, Lauren Bacall, Paul Bettany, Chloë Sevigny, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier, Ben Gazzara, Patricia Clarks ...
'', said in an interview with ABC Radio National that she tried to quit the film several times in response to comments von Trier made on set, often while inebriated, "but I say this laughing...I didn't do the sequel but I'm still very good friends with him, strangely enough, because I admire his honesty and I see him as an artist, and I say, my gosh, it's such a hard world now to have a unique voice, and he certainly has that." However, other actresses he has worked with, such as Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg have spoken out in defence of his approach. ''Nymphomaniac'' star
Stacy Martin Stacy Martin (born 20 March 1990) is a French actress. Her breakthrough role was playing Joe as a young woman in Lars von Trier's 2013 drama film '' Nymphomaniac''. She is a frequent collaborator with Brady Corbet, having appeared in his films ...
has stated that he never forced her to do anything that was outside her comfort zone. She said "I don't think he's a misogynist. The fact that he sometimes depicts women as troubled or dangerous or dark or even evil; that doesn't automatically make him anti-feminist. It's a very dated argument. I think that Lars loves women."


Personal life


Family

In 1989, von Trier's mother confessed to him on her deathbed that his biological father was not the man who raised him, but her former employer, (1909–2000), who was descended from a long line of Danish classical musicians. Hartmann's grandfather was Emil Hartmann, and his great-grandfather J. P. E. Hartmann. His uncles included
Niels Gade Niels Wilhelm Gade (22 February 1817 – 21 December 1890) was a Danish composer, conductor, violinist, organist and teacher. Together with Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann, he was the leading Danish musician of his day, in the period known as ...
and Johan Ernst Hartmann, and Niels Viggo Bentzon was his cousin. She stated that she did this to give her son "artistic genes". Von Trier has jokingly said, by reference to the distant German origin of the Hartmann family, that while he believed he had a Jewish background, he is "really more of a Nazi." During the German occupation of Denmark, Hartmann in fact joined a resistance group, actively counteracting any pro-German and pro-Nazi colleagues in his civil service department. Another member of this resistance group was Hartmann's colleague
Viggo Kampmann Olfert Viggo Fischer Kampmann (; 21 July 1910 – 3 June 1976) was a Danish politician who served as the leader of the Danish Social Democrats and prime minister of Denmark from 1960 to 1962. He formed his first cabinet just prior to the 1960 ...
, who would later become prime minister of Denmark. After vonTrier had four awkward meetings with his biological father, Hartmann refused further contact. From 1987 to 1995, von Trier was married to producer and actress , with whom he has two daughters, Agnes and Selma (both producers like their parents), and from 1997 to 2015 to Bente Frøge, with whom he has two sons.


Family background and political and religious views

Von Trier's mother considered herself a
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
, while Ulf Trier was a
social democrat Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...
. Both were committed nudists, and vonTrier went on several childhood holidays to
nudist camp A naturist resort or nudist resort is an establishment that provides accommodation (or at least camping space) and other amenities for guests in a context where they are invited to practice naturism – that is, a lifestyle of non-sexual socia ...
s. They regarded the disciplining of children as reactionary. Von Trier has noted that he was brought up in an
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
family, and that although Ulf Trier was Jewish, he was not religious. His parents did not allow much room in their household for "feelings, religion, or enjoyment", and also refused to make any rules for their children. In a 2005 interview with ''
Die Zeit (, ) is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles. History The first edition of was ...
'', vonTrier said, "I don't know if I'm all that Catholic really. I'm probably not. Denmark is a very
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
country. Perhaps I only turned
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
to piss off a few of my countrymen." In 2009, he said, "I'm a very bad Catholic. In fact I'm becoming more and more of an atheist."


Health


Mental health

Von Trier suffers from various fears and
phobia A phobia is an anxiety disorder, defined by an irrational, unrealistic, persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. Phobias typically result in a rapid onset of fear and are usually present for more than six months. Those affected ...
s, including an intense
fear of flying Fear of flying is the fear of being on an aircraft, such as an airplane or helicopter, while it is in flight. It is also referred to as flying anxiety, flying phobia, flight phobia, aviophobia, aerophobia, or pteromerhanophobia (although aero ...
. This fear frequently places severe constraints on him and his crew, necessitating that virtually all of his films be shot in either Denmark or Sweden. On numerous occasions, he has stated that he suffers from occasional depression which renders him incapable of doing his work and unable to fulfill social obligations.


Parkinson's disease

On 8 August 2022, it was announced that von Trier had been diagnosed with
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...
. According to '' Variety'', von Trier plans to take a break from filmmaking to adjust to his new life with the disease, saying: "I will take a little break and find out what to do, but I certainly hope that my condition will be better. It's a disease you can't take away; you can work with the symptoms, though." On 12 February 2025, Zentropa producer Louise Vesth announced via
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
that von Trier had been admitted to a care facility for the condition.


Controversies


Remarks during Cannes interview

In May 2011, known to be provocative in interviews, vonTrier's remarks during the press conference before the premiere of ''
Melancholia Melancholia or melancholy (from ',Burton, Bk. I, p. 147 meaning black bile) is a concept found throughout ancient, medieval, and premodern medicine in Europe that describes a condition characterized by markedly depressed mood, bodily complain ...
'' in Cannes caused significant controversy in the media, leading the festival to declare him ''
persona non grata In diplomacy, a ' (PNG) is a foreign diplomat that is asked by the host country to be recalled to their home country. If the person is not recalled as requested, the host state may refuse to recognize the person concerned as a member of the diplo ...
''. He was therefore banned from Cannes for one year, although ''Melancholia'' still competed in that year's competition. Minutes before the end of the press conference, von Trier was asked about his German roots and the Nazi aesthetic, in response to his description of the film's genre as "German romance". He joked that since he was "no longer Jewish," having been told the truth about his biological father, he now "understands" and "sympathizes" with Hitler, that he is not against the Jews except for Israel which is "a pain in the ass" and that he is a Nazi. Von Trier was branded an antisemite for his remarks. He released a formal apology immediately after the press conference and kept apologizing for his joke during all of the interviews he gave in the weeks following the incident, admitting that he was not sober, and saying that he did not need to explain that he is not a Nazi. However, in 2019, von Trier stated that he made this remark at the "only press conference I ever had when I was sober." The actors of ''Melancholia'' who were present during the incident – Dunst, Gainsbourg, Skarsgård – defended the director, pointing to his provocative sense of humor and his depression. He refused to attend a private press screening of his subsequent feature '' Nymphomaniac''. In the director's defense, Skarsgård stated at the screening, "Everyone knows he's not a Nazi, and it was disgraceful the way the press had these headlines saying he was." The director of the Cannes festival later called the controversy "unfair" and as "stupid" as vonTrier's bad joke, concluding that his films are welcome at the festival and that vonTrier is considered a "friend".


Sex and violence in films

Several of his films – '' The Idiots'' (1998), ''
Antichrist In Christian eschatology, Antichrist (or in broader eschatology, Anti-Messiah) refers to a kind of entity prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ and falsely substitute themselves as a savior in Christ's place before ...
'' (2009), '' Nymphomaniac'' (2013) and '' The House That Jack Built'' (2018) – contain explicit content that has generated controversy; the first faced widespread backlash upon its release as one film critic was ejected from its premiere screening at Cannes for heckling, and the film was heavily censored for subsequent releases. At the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, approximately 100 audience members walked out of the premiere of ''The House That Jack Built''.


Sexual harassment allegations with Björk

In October 2017, Björk, in the wake of dozens of sexual abuse cases brought against film producer
Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (, ; born March 19, 1952) is an American film producer and convicted sex offender. In 1979, Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent ...
, posted on her
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
page that she had been sexually harassed by a Danish film director. She commented: The ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' found evidence identifying him as Lars von Trier. Von Trier has rejected Björk's allegation that he sexually harassed her during the making of the film ''Dancer in the Dark'', and said "That was not the case. But that we were definitely not friends, that's a fact", to Danish daily ''
Jyllands-Posten (; English: ''The Morning Newspaper "The Jutland Post"''), commonly shortened to or ''JP'', is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper. It is based in Aarhus C, Jutland, and with a weekday circulation of approximately 120,000 copies.
Peter Aalbæk Jensen Peter Aalbæk Jensen (born 8 April 1956 in Osted) is a Denmark, Danish film producer who in 1992 with director Lars von Trier founded the Danish film company Zentropa and later its huge studio complex Filmbyen. His father was writer Erik Aalbæk J ...
, the producer of ''Dancer in the Dark'', told ''Jyllands-Posten'' that "as far as I remember we ars von Trier and Iwere the victims. That woman was stronger than both Lars von Trier and me and our company put together. She dictated everything and was about to close a movie of 100m kroner 16m. After von Trier's statement, Björk explained the details about this incident:
In the spirit of #metoo I would like to lend women around the world a hand with a more detailed description of my experience with a Danish director. It feels extremely difficult to come out with something of this nature into the public, especially when immediately ridiculed by offenders. I fully sympathise with everyone who hesitates, even for years. But I feel it is the right time especially now when it could make a change. Here comes a list of the encounters that I think count as sexual harassment: # After each take the director ran up to me and wrapped his arms around me for a long time in front of all crew or alone and stroked me sometimes for minutes against my wishes. # When after 2 months of this i said he had to stop the touching, he exploded and broke a chair in front of everyone on set. Like someone who has always been allowed to fondle his actresses. Then we all got sent home. # During the whole filming process there were constant awkward paralysing unwanted whispered sexual offers from him with graphic descriptions, sometimes with his wife standing next to us. # While filming in Sweden, he threatened to climb from his room's balcony over to mine in the middle of the night with a clear sexual intention, while his wife was in the room next door. I escaped to my friends room. This was what finally woke me up to the severity of all this and made me stand my ground. # Fabricated stories in the press about me being difficult by his producer. This matches beautifully the Weinstein methods and bullying. I have never eaten a shirt. Not sure that is even possible. # I didn't comply or agree on being sexually harassed. That was then portrayed as me being difficult. If being difficult is standing up to being treated like that, i'll own it. Hope Let's break this curse. Warmth Björk
Björk's manager, Derek Birkett, has spoken in support of her representation of von Trier's actions: ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' later found that Jensen's studio, Zentropa, with which von Trier frequently collaborated, had an endemic culture of sexual harassment. Jensen stepped down from CEO position of Zentropa as further harassment allegations came to light in 2017.


Animal cruelty during filming

A
donkey The donkey or ass is a domesticated equine. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a separate species, ''Equus asinus''. It was domes ...
was slaughtered for dramatic purposes during production of '' Manderlay'', an act that caused actors including John C. Reilly to quit the film in protest of its cruelty to animals. The scene was cut from the film before it was released. Although '' The House that Jack Built'' was praised by animal rights organization
PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...
for its use of realistic effects, a scene involving the main character mutilating a duckling was the subject of criticism from some audiences.


Position on the Russian war against Ukraine

In August 2023, Lars von Trier published on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
a critical entry against the delivery of
F-16 The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it e ...
fighters to
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, ending his post by saying "Russian lives matter also!" The entry immediately became publicized in official
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n media and by the Russian
propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...
officer Margarita Simonyan. Oleksiy Danilov, head of Ukraine's
National Security and Defense Council The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, ( NSDCU; , ''RNBOU'') or RNBO, is the coordinating state body of the executive power under the President of Ukraine on issues of national security and defense. It is a state agency tasked wi ...
, responded on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
, criticising von Trier's comments, saying, "The choice between the executioner and the victim becomes a tragedy when the artist chooses the side of the executioner." Two days later, Von Trier then made another post on Instagram, saying, "I support Ukraine with every beat of my heart! I was just stating the obvious: that all lives in this world matter!"


Filmography


Feature Films


Television


Frequent collaborators

Von Trier often works more than once with actors and production members. Manon Rasmussen was the only crew member as a costume designer to collaborate with von Trier in all of his works (except ''
Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...
'' and '' The Idiots'') since ''
The Element of Crime ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' (1984). His first, but initial acting collaborator for ''
The Element of Crime ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' was Leif Magnusson, who appeared in his role as a hotel guest, yet continued to appear again in the last two films as different minor roles for his first trilogy until his acting retirement in the early 1990s. His main crew members and producer team has remained intact since ''Europa''. Many of his recurring actors have expressed their devotion to von Trier. European actors Jean-Marc Barr, Udo Kier, and
Stellan Skarsgård Stellan John Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier, appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2003), ''Melancholia' ...
have all appeared across several von Trier films. With the exception of ''Medea'', ''The Kingdom'', his incompleted "USA Trilogy", and ''The House that Jack Built''; British-French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg and Swedish actor Leif Magnusson are the only two acting collaborators (excluding himself) to have appeared in all installments of two of his trilogies, taking the lead roles in ''Depression'' for the former and minor roles in '' Europa'' for the latter. ''Note: This list shows only the actors (in alphabetical order only) who have collaborated with von Trier in three or more productions''.


Awards and honors

Among his more than 100 awards and 200 nominations at film festivals worldwide, von Trier has received: the
Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...
(for ''
Dancer in the Dark ''Dancer in the Dark'' is a 2000 musical psychological tragedy film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It stars Icelandic musician Björk as a factory worker who suffers from a degenerative eye condition and is saving for an operation to p ...
''), the Grand Prix (for ''
Breaking the Waves ''Breaking the Waves'' is a 1996 psychological romantic melodrama film directed and co-written by Lars von Trier and starring Emily Watson in her feature film acting debut, and with Stellan Skarsgård, a frequent collaborator with von Trier. ...
''), the Prix du Jury (for '' Europa''), and the Technical Grand Prize (for ''
The Element of Crime ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' and ''Europa'') at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
. Von Trier has also received both
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
and
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nominations for the former. * In von Trier's second trilogy, ''Golden Heart'', is the first franchise or trilogy to have won both Bodil and
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
for Best Actress in a Leading Role, respectively
Emily Watson Emily Margaret Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of ''Twelfth Night'' and ''Uncle Vanya'' at the Donmar Ware ...
, Bodil Jorgensen, and
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
, while Watson and Björk also have won the European for Best Actress. ** Also in ''Golden Heart'', three of them have nominated the
Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...
, with the latter won. * In von Trier's fourth trilogy, ''Depression'', is the first franchise or trilogy to have sweep the Robert for Best Danish Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects.


Notes

* 1 ^ Dimension was originally intended a feature-length gangster film with each 33 years of development as for 2024 per theatrical release, but he was lost interest in the project after the death of Cartlidge, Constantine, and Hugo Järegård, in which he completes one of the footages into a short film instead.


References


Further reading

* * * * * * Rudolph, Pascal (2020). "Björk on the Gallows: Performance, Persona, and Authenticity in Lars von Trier’s ''Dancer in the Dark''", in ''IASPM Journal 10/1'', 22–42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5429/2079-3871(2020)v10i1.3en. * Rudolph, Pascal (2022). '' Präexistente Musik im Film: Klangwelten im Kino des Lars von Trier'' (in German). edition text + kritik. DOI https://doi.org/10.5771/9783967077582. * Rudolph, Pascal (2023). "The Musical Idea Work Group: Production and Reception of Pre-existing Music in Film", in ''Twentieth-Century Music'' 20/2, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478572222000214. * * * * * * * * Tiefenbach, Georg (2025). ''The Lars von Trier Conversations. Volume One. About the Art of Filmmaking: Editing, Sound Design, and Costume Design. Conversations with Molly Malene Stensgaard, Per Streit, and Manon Rasmussen.'' Königshausen & Neumann. ISBN: 978-3-8260-9039-4. * Tiefenbach, Georg (2025). ''The Lars von Trier Conversations. Volume Two. About the Art of Filmmaking: Editing, Cinematography, Special Effect, New Media, Writing, and Directing. Conversations with Molly Malene Stensgaard, Manuel Alberto Claro, Peter Hjorth, and Lars von Trier.'' Königshausen & Neumann. ISBN: 978-3-8260-9039-4. * *


External links


Zentropa official website
nbsp;– von Trier's production company * *
Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database

The Burden From Donald Duck. An interview with Lars von Trier
Video by Louisiana Channel {{DEFAULTSORT:Trier, Lars von 1956 births Living people Converts to Roman Catholicism Danish experimental filmmakers Danish people of German descent Danish people of Belgian descent Danish Roman Catholics Danish male screenwriters Danish documentary film directors Directors of Palme d'Or winners English-language film directors European Film Award for Best Director winners Film directors from Copenhagen Hartmann family German-language film directors Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog People from Kongens Lyngby Spanish-language film directors Sun in a Net Awards winners Postmodernist filmmakers People with Parkinson's disease Film controversies Obscenity controversies in film Animal cruelty incidents in film Political controversies in film Danish television show creators