Filmmaker booted out of festival for Hitler remarks

DANISH filmmaker Lars von Trier was booted out of the Cannes Film Festival for a bizarre news conference in which he said he sympathises with Adolf Hitler.

The comments had ignited shock from the moment they spilled out of the director’s mouth, causing Kirsten Dunst, an actress in his film Melancholia, to lean over and whisper to von Trier, “Oh my God, this is terrible”.

Festival president Gilles Jacob said von Trier had been banned from the rest of this year’s festival, although he would not elaborate if the filmmaker might be allowed back in the future. It was an unprecedented move by the festival, which in 2000 had bestowed its highest honour on von Trier’s earlier film, Dancer in the Dark.

The filmmaker’s comments had “stained the reputation for the festival” and its 28-member board of directors felt it had to respond, Jacob said.

Melancholia remains in competition for all Cannes prizes — including the top Palme d’Or award — but if it wins any he will not be allowed to attend Sunday’s closing ceremony.

At a news conference for the film on Wednesday, von Trier spoke about his German heritage, and in a rambling speech said he understood and sympathised with Hitler. The director said afterward he had been joking and later issued an apology.

Thierry Fremaux, the general director at Cannes, said von Trier told festival officials that he “accepts the punishment”.

“He’s upset by this matter,” Fremaux said.

“He recognised that the festival had to take a firm position in regards to his comments.”

Jacob said the board considered throwing Melancholia out of the festival but it decided to “distinguish between the work and the person”.

The decision should not affect the jury’s deliberations, Fremaux said, adding, they “must judge the films in all sovereignty according to whatever criteria they like”. He added that the festival’s organisers “don’t have direct contact” with the jury.