Lars von Trier Short biography
Lars von Trier (né Trier; 30 April 1956) is a Danish film director and screenwriter. Beginning in the late 1960s as a child actor working on the Danish television series Secret Summer, von Trier's career has spanned more than five decades. Considered a major figure in 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 with subjects including mercy, sacrifice, and mental health. He frequently collaborates with the actors Jens Albinus, Jean-Marc Barr, Udo Kier and Stellan Skarsgård.
Von Trier co-created the avant-garde 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 350 million tickets and garnered eight Academy Award nominations.
Von Trier has been the subject of criticism and controversies. Cannes Film Festival, in addition to awarding his films on numerous occasions, once listed him as persona non grata for making a Nazism joke during an interview; animal harm on Manderlay's set, and graphic violence and unsimulated sex in some of his films have drawn criticism; and he has been accused of mistreatment and negligence towards actresses during the filming process, including Björk and Nicole Kidman.
