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IMDbPro

Lars von Trier

  • Writer
  • Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000369
Lars von Trier in Melancholia (2011)
Watch Trailer [OVS]
Play trailer2:40
Robby Müller: Living the Light (2018)
7 Videos
35 Photos
Probably the most ambitious and visually distinctive filmmaker to emerge from Denmark since Carl Theodor Dreyer over 60 years earlier, Lars von Trier studied film at the Danish Film School and attracted international attention with his very first feature, The Element of Crime (1984). A highly distinctive blend of film noir and German Expressionism with stylistic nods to Dreyer, Andrei Tarkovsky and Orson Welles, its combination of yellow-tinted monochrome cinematography (pierced by shafts of blue light) and doom-haunted atmosphere made it an unforgettable visual experience. His subsequent features Epidemic (1987) and Europa (1991) have been equally ambitious both thematically and visually, though his international fame is most likely to be based on The Kingdom (1994), a TV soap opera blending hospital drama, ghost story and Twin Peaks (1990)-style surrealism that was so successful in Denmark that it was released internationally as a 280-minute theatrical feature.
BornApril 30, 1956
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornApril 30, 1956
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000369
  • Unlock contact info on IMDbPro
  • Nominated for 1 Oscar
    • 106 wins & 116 nominations total

Photos35

Lars von Trier in Epidemic (1987)
Lars von Trier in The Element of Crime (1984)
Lars von Trier, Michael Elphick, and Me Me Lai in The Element of Crime (1984)
Lars von Trier and Niels Vørsel in Epidemic (1987)
Lars von Trier in Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013)
Lars von Trier in Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013)
Lars von Trier in Antichrist (2009)
Lars von Trier and Jens Albinus in The Boss of It All (2006)
Lars von Trier in The Boss of It All (2006)
Lars von Trier in The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011)
Lars von Trier in Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Christian Slater, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Udo Kier, Connie Nielsen, Stellan Skarsgård, Lars von Trier, Jamie Bell, Nicolas Bro, Shia LaBeouf, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Stacy Martin, and Mia Goth in Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013)

Known for

Björk in Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Dancer in the Dark
7.9
  • Writer(as Lars Von Trier)
  • 2000
Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia (2011)
Melancholia
7.1
  • Writer
  • 2011
Antichrist (2009)
Antichrist
6.5
  • Writer
  • 2009
Nicole Kidman in Dogville (2003)
Dogville
8.0
  • Writer
  • 2003

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Writer

  • Études
    • written by
    • In Production
    • Short
  • Bodil Jørgensen in The Kingdom (1994)
    The Kingdom
    • writer
    • screenplay
    • TV Series
    • 1994–2022
  • Matt Dillon in The House That Jack Built (2018)
    The House That Jack Built
    • based on idea by
    • written by
    • 2018
  • Testamentet: Tage Skou-Hansen
    • concept
    • 2015
  • Nymphomaniac: Vol. II (2013)
    Nymphomaniac: Vol. II
    • written by
    • 2013
  • Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013)
    Nymphomaniac: Vol. I
    • written by
    • 2013
  • Selma Jezková (2011)
    Selma Jezková
    • based on the screenplay by
    • Video
    • 2011
  • Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia (2011)
    Melancholia
    • written by
    • 2011
  • Jean-Marc Barr and Lars von Trier in Dimension 1991-2024 (2010)
    Dimension 1991-2024
    • Writer
    • Video
    • 2010
  • Antichrist (2009)
    Antichrist
    • written by
    • 2009
  • De unge år: Erik Nietzsche sagaen del 1 (2007)
    De unge år: Erik Nietzsche sagaen del 1
    • Writer (as Erik Nietzsche)
    • 2007
  • The Boss of It All (2006)
    The Boss of It All
    • Writer
    • 2006
  • Klovn (2005)
    Klovn
    • writer
    • TV Series
    • 2005
  • Manderlay (2005)
    Manderlay
    • written by
    • 2005
  • Dear Wendy (2005)
    Dear Wendy
    • written by
    • 2005
  • Kingdom Hospital (2004)
    Kingdom Hospital
    • original mini-series
    • based on the mini-series "The Kingdom" written by
    • TV Series
    • 2004

Director

  • Études
    • Director
    • In Production
    • Short
  • Bodil Jørgensen in The Kingdom (1994)
    The Kingdom
    • Director
    • TV Series
    • 1994–2022
  • Matt Dillon in The House That Jack Built (2018)
    The House That Jack Built
    • Director
    • 2018
  • Nymphomaniac: Vol. II (2013)
    Nymphomaniac: Vol. II
    • Director
    • 2013
  • Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013)
    Nymphomaniac: Vol. I
    • Director
    • 2013
  • Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia (2011)
    Melancholia
    • Director
    • 2011
  • Jean-Marc Barr and Lars von Trier in Dimension 1991-2024 (2010)
    Dimension 1991-2024
    • Director
    • Video
    • 2010
  • Antichrist (2009)
    Antichrist
    • Director
    • 2009
  • To Each His Own Cinema (2007)
    To Each His Own Cinema
    • Director (segment Occupations)
    • 2007
  • The Boss of It All (2006)
    The Boss of It All
    • Director
    • 2006
  • Manderlay (2005)
    Manderlay
    • Director
    • 2005
  • Dogville: The Pilot (2003)
    Dogville: The Pilot
    • Director
    • Video
    • 2003
  • The Five Obstructions (2003)
    The Five Obstructions
    • Director (segment The Perfect Human: Avedøre, Denmark, uncredited)
    • 2003
  • Nicole Kidman in Dogville (2003)
    Dogville
    • Director
    • 2003
  • D-Day: The Finished Film (2001)
    D-Day: The Finished Film
    • Director
    • TV Movie
    • 2001
  • Björk in Björk Feat. Thom Yorke: I've Seen It All (2000)
    Björk Feat. Thom Yorke: I've Seen It All
    • Director
    • Music Video
    • 2000

Producer

  • Just Like Beauty
    • executive producer
    • Pre-production
  • A Royal Affair (2012)
    A Royal Affair
    • executive producer
    • 2012
  • The Erotic Traveler (2007)
    The Erotic Man
    • producer
    • 2010
  • Gry Bay in All About Anna (2005)
    All About Anna
    • co-executive producer (uncredited)
    • Video
    • 2005
  • Kingdom Hospital (2004)
    Kingdom Hospital
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2004
  • Visions of Europe (2004)
    Visions of Europe
    • producer
    • 2004
  • South (2004)
    South
    • co-producer
    • 2004
  • I kajak til verdens ende (2000)
    I kajak til verdens ende
    • executive producer
    • TV Movie
    • 2000
  • Italiensk for begyndere (2000)
    Italiensk for begyndere
    • associate producer (uncredited)
    • 2000
  • HotMen CoolBoyz
    • co-executive producer (uncredited)
    • Video
    • 2000
  • Morten Korch - Ved stillebækken
    • executive producer
    • creative producer
    • producer
    • TV Series
    • 1999–2000
  • Sussi la Cour Dollenz in Pink Prison (1999)
    Pink Prison
    • co-executive producer (uncredited)
    • Video
    • 1999
  • Constance (1998)
    Constance
    • co-executive producer (uncredited)
    • Video
    • 1998
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos8

"Chapter 4: Delirium"
Clip 1:00
"Chapter 4: Delirium"
Appetizer - Chapter 1: The Compleat Angler
Clip 1:12
Appetizer - Chapter 1: The Compleat Angler
Melancholia
Clip 1:35
Melancholia
"The Earth Is Evil"
Clip 0:49
"The Earth Is Evil"
Antichrist
Clip 1:09
Antichrist
Trailer [OVS]
Trailer 2:40
Trailer [OVS]
Antichrist
Trailer 1:55
Antichrist
Nymphomaniac: Volume I
Trailer 1:48
Nymphomaniac: Volume I

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • Erik Nietzsche
  • Height
    • 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
  • Born
    • April 30, 1956
    • Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Spouses
      Bente Frøge1997 - present (2 children)
  • Children
    • Selma Sunniva
  • Parents
      Ulf Trier
  • Other works
    Directed TV commercial urging Danes to vote for entry into the European single currency.
  • Publicity listings
    • 8 Biographical Movies
    • 3 Print Biographies
    • 10 Interviews
    • 16 Articles
    • 2 Pictorials

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Many famous directors and actors have shown their appreciation of von Trier's work. Quentin Tarantino mentions Von Trier's Dogville (2003) as his idea of the best manuscript ever written, Paul Thomas Anderson said he would "carry Lars von Trier's luggage anywhere", Martin Scorsese has Breaking the Waves (1996) listed on his top 10 films of the 90s and Johnny Depp recently said this in a Danish film magazine: "Tell von Trier I'm waiting for an offer, when he is ready, so am I".
  • Quotes
    A film should be like a rock in the shoe.
  • Trademarks
      Hypnosis figures significantly in many of his films

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