Lars von Trier

Following Denmark's announcement of the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine, von Trier published 'Russian lives matter also', criticising the Danish Prime Minister and Volodymyr Zelensky.

State of the evidence

Instagram post, Ukrainian reaction and clarification documented

Legal status — source text

no legal proceedings

Attribution

direct personal responsibility

Women who had worked at Zentropa described a culture of harassment and sexualisation, with allegations primarily targeting Peter Aalbæk Jensen. Questioned in 2018, von Trier appeared reluctant to condemn certain practices.

State of the evidence

company investigation, testimonies and direct statements documented

Legal status — source text

no personal conviction of von Trier identified in this matter

Attribution

von Trier is co-founder and co-owner; the specific acts alleged against Peter Aalbæk Jensen are not attributed to him

Von Trier's return to Cannes prompted more than one hundred audience members to walk out in response to depictions of the murders and mutilation of women and children in the film.

State of the evidence

Cannes screening and mass walkouts documented

Legal status — source text

no personal legal proceedings

Attribution

direct artistic responsibility

Björk described unwanted sexual advances, physical contact and artistic retaliation attributed to a Danish director during Dancer in the Dark.

State of the evidence

detailed public allegations and denial documented

Legal status — source text

no personal conviction identified

Attribution

allegations personally targeting von Trier; no guilt presented as established

Nymphomaniac was distributed in cut and uncut versions because of its explicit sexual scenes. In Romania, the second part initially received a classification prohibiting public screenings.

State of the evidence

explicit content and classification decisions documented

Legal status — source text

Part II initially prohibited from public screening in Romania; ban subsequently lifted on appeal

Attribution

direct artistic responsibility

At Cannes, von Trier said he understood Hitler and provocatively described himself as a Nazi, triggering a worldwide scandal. The festival declared him persona non grata.

State of the evidence

filmed remarks, festival sanction, apologies and judicial outcome documented

Legal status — source text

Cannes declared him persona non grata; French investigation opened and subsequently closed without trial

Attribution

direct personal responsibility; favourable criminal outcome retained

Antichrist caused one of the major scandals at Cannes in 2009, with extremely graphic scenes of genital mutilation and sexual violence. Numerous critics accused the film and its creator of misogyny.

State of the evidence

Cannes reception and explicit scenes documented

Legal status — source text

no personal legal proceedings

Attribution

direct artistic responsibility

John C. Reilly left Manderlay after refusing to participate in filming that involved the actual killing of a donkey.

State of the evidence

animal's killing and actor's departure documented

Legal status — source text

no personal criminal proceedings identified

Attribution

directorial responsibility during filming; veterinary conditions described by the production

Dogville, an extremely dark parable set in the United States, was denounced by American critics as an attack on their country, particularly because von Trier had never travelled there.

State of the evidence

Cannes controversy and direct statements documented

Legal status — source text

no legal proceedings

Attribution

artistic and personal responsibility for his statements

The Idiots follows a group pretending to have intellectual disabilities and includes an orgy scene with unsimulated sex. Disability groups and critics considered the subject offensive, while the sexual scenes made the film a major censorship case.

State of the evidence

critical controversy and classification decisions documented

Legal status — source text

film banned in Ireland; classified 18 and approved uncut in the United Kingdom

Attribution

direct artistic responsibility