ChronoGrl
05-22-2011, 07:03 AM
Danish Director Barred From Festival After Making Hitler Jokes
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/movies/danish-filmmaker-lars-von-trier-banished-at-cannes-film-festival.html?_r=1&nl=movies&emc=mua1
By DENNIS LIM
Published: May 19, 2011
The Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier has been a fixture at the Cannes Film Festival throughout his career. All but one of his features have had their premieres here, and he won the top prize, the Palme d’Or, in 2000 for “Dancer in the Dark.” But the longstanding relationship came to an abrupt halt on Thursday when the festival’s board of directors declared Mr. von Trier “persona non grata” a day after he joked at a news conference for his latest film, “Melancholia,” that he was a Nazi and sympathized with Hitler.
...
All seemed to be going well for a while on Wednesday morning. “Melancholia,” which Mr. von Trier has described as his response to his battle with depression, was met with applause — and just a few boos — at its press screening, and there were no hostile questions at the conference. The trouble began more than half an hour into the conference, as Mr. von Trier spoke about the use of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” in the film, which is about two sisters and the end of the world, describing it as “an important work in the German romantic tradition.” A question followed from a British journalist about what Mr. von Trier had described in a Danish magazine as his interest in the Nazi aesthetic and his German roots, which he discovered as an adult.
Mr. von Trier began his response by alluding to his background. (He has said in interviews that his mother on her deathbed told him that her husband was not Mr. von Trier’s real father and that until then he had believed he was Jewish.) “I really wanted to be a Jew, and then I found out that I was really a Nazi,” he said. Invoking Hitler, he added: “I think I understand the man. He’s not what you would call a good guy. But I understand much about him, I sympathize with him a little bit.”
Mr. von Trier fumbled to clarify his position. “I’m not against Jews, not even Susanne Bier,” he said, referring to the Danish filmmaker who won the best foreign-language Oscar this year for “In a Better World.” He then concluded the monologue with another attempt at a joke. “O.K., I’m a Nazi,” he said, prompting some laughs in the room.
Yeesh. Ok. Inappropriate? Yes. But I read this more like he was making an attempt at humor (though inappropriate)... Do I think he should have been expelled? I honestly don't think so... Bad taste, sure, but he sounds like a really awkward guy (hey, geniuses aren't always known for their personal skills - And if you see his work, it's clear that he's tortured). I really don't think that there was malice in his remarks, though I can understand the "No Tolerance" stand that Cannes took. It's hard to draw the line by saying, "Well, THAT remark was OK because it wasn't malicious... But THIS remark is a problem..."
What do you guys think? Where's the line here?
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/movies/danish-filmmaker-lars-von-trier-banished-at-cannes-film-festival.html?_r=1&nl=movies&emc=mua1
By DENNIS LIM
Published: May 19, 2011
The Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier has been a fixture at the Cannes Film Festival throughout his career. All but one of his features have had their premieres here, and he won the top prize, the Palme d’Or, in 2000 for “Dancer in the Dark.” But the longstanding relationship came to an abrupt halt on Thursday when the festival’s board of directors declared Mr. von Trier “persona non grata” a day after he joked at a news conference for his latest film, “Melancholia,” that he was a Nazi and sympathized with Hitler.
...
All seemed to be going well for a while on Wednesday morning. “Melancholia,” which Mr. von Trier has described as his response to his battle with depression, was met with applause — and just a few boos — at its press screening, and there were no hostile questions at the conference. The trouble began more than half an hour into the conference, as Mr. von Trier spoke about the use of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” in the film, which is about two sisters and the end of the world, describing it as “an important work in the German romantic tradition.” A question followed from a British journalist about what Mr. von Trier had described in a Danish magazine as his interest in the Nazi aesthetic and his German roots, which he discovered as an adult.
Mr. von Trier began his response by alluding to his background. (He has said in interviews that his mother on her deathbed told him that her husband was not Mr. von Trier’s real father and that until then he had believed he was Jewish.) “I really wanted to be a Jew, and then I found out that I was really a Nazi,” he said. Invoking Hitler, he added: “I think I understand the man. He’s not what you would call a good guy. But I understand much about him, I sympathize with him a little bit.”
Mr. von Trier fumbled to clarify his position. “I’m not against Jews, not even Susanne Bier,” he said, referring to the Danish filmmaker who won the best foreign-language Oscar this year for “In a Better World.” He then concluded the monologue with another attempt at a joke. “O.K., I’m a Nazi,” he said, prompting some laughs in the room.
Yeesh. Ok. Inappropriate? Yes. But I read this more like he was making an attempt at humor (though inappropriate)... Do I think he should have been expelled? I honestly don't think so... Bad taste, sure, but he sounds like a really awkward guy (hey, geniuses aren't always known for their personal skills - And if you see his work, it's clear that he's tortured). I really don't think that there was malice in his remarks, though I can understand the "No Tolerance" stand that Cannes took. It's hard to draw the line by saying, "Well, THAT remark was OK because it wasn't malicious... But THIS remark is a problem..."
What do you guys think? Where's the line here?