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Tatler Asia
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Boo first, applaud later: 12 Cannes cult classics that outlived the jeers
2. 'Dancer in the Dark' (2000) Lars von Trier has a long, messy relationship with Cannes, and Dancer in the Dark is his most operatic offence. This heartbreaking musical stars Björk as a blind factory worker saving up for her son's eye surgery. Between tearjerking tragedies and abrupt, dreamlike musical numbers, audiences were split—some moved to tears, others to the exits. The Palme d'Or win didn't silence the sceptics, but in time, its raw emotion, jagged beauty and Björk's once-in-a-lifetime performance cemented its status as one of the strangest, saddest musicals ever made. 3. 'Crash' (1996) Not to be confused with the Oscar-winning drama of the same name, this David Cronenberg film is about car crash fetishists. Based on the J.G. Ballard novel, Crash features James Spader and Holly Hunter in a world where mangled metal equals erotic thrill. When it screened at Cannes, audience members reportedly fled the theatre in disgust, and one jury member called it 'the most repulsive film' he'd ever seen. Naturally, it's now a cult classic—studied, fetishised and deeply respected as a bold examination of modern alienation and obsession. 4. 'The Neon Demon' (2016) Nicolas Winding Refn's blood-soaked, neon-lit descent into the fashion industry might as well have come with a 'Viewer Discretion Advised' warning. Elle Fanning stars as an aspiring model who becomes the target of envy, violence and possibly supernatural forces. At Cannes, the film's cannibalism, necrophilia and vacant stares drew audible gasps and widespread mockery. But over time, its high-gloss aesthetic and unflinching nihilism found its tribe. Now, it lives on in mood boards and horror-film retrospectives as goth couture gold. 5. 'The Tree of Life' (2011) Terrence Malick's metaphysical epic, featuring dinosaurs, galactic wombs and Jessica Chastain twirling in sunlight, was booed by audiences who just wanted a linear story, or at least a clear point. Instead, they got a meditation on grief, grace and the cosmos. Brad Pitt plays a strict 1950s father, while Sean Penn wanders through modern architecture looking confused. The film was either an existential masterpiece or a pretentious snoozefest, depending on who you asked. A decade later, it's lauded as one of the most ambitious films of the 21st century. This is definitely one of the most memorable Cannes cult classics. 6. 'Southland Tales' (2006) After the success of Donnie Darko , Richard Kelly went full apocalypse in this chaotic messiah satire starring Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott and Justin Timberlake lip-syncing to The Killers in a military uniform. Cannes audiences weren't impressed. It was long, incoherent and drowning in references to everything from Revelations to reality TV. The boos were deafening. But in hindsight, Southland Tales reads like a prophecy—one that predicted the era of influencer politics and media collapse. It's a misunderstood fever dream turned Cannes cult classic. 7. 'L'Avventura' (1960) Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Avventura might be the OG of Cannes boos. A woman disappears during a Mediterranean yachting trip, but no one really tries that hard to find her. Instead, the remaining characters drift into existential malaise and complicated affairs. Viewers in 1960 were outraged. Where's the plot? Where's the resolution? But that's the point. What was once called boring is now recognised as revolutionary. It broke the rules of narrative and gave mood as story. Today, it's a textbook staple for film students and arthouse lovers. 8. 'Inglourious Basterds' (2009) When Quentin Tarantino returned to Cannes with this revisionist WWII flick, not everyone was thrilled by the sight of Hitler getting shot in a burning movie theatre. Some critics were uneasy with its gleeful violence and alternate history. But others saw brilliance in Christoph Waltz's turn as a charmingly cruel Nazi and the film's operatic tension. Despite early grumbles, Inglourious Basterds became a critical and commercial hit—and another entry in Tarantino's long list of genre-bending cult masterpieces. 9. 'The House That Jack Built' (2018) Only Lars von Trier could turn serial killing into a philosophical monologue. In this deeply polarising horror film, Matt Dillon plays Jack, a murderer who sees his crimes as art. The audience? Not so sure. With graphic violence, disturbing imagery and a finale that literally ends in Hell, over 100 Cannes attendees walked out. Still, for those who stayed, the film offered a provocative and chilling examination of art, cruelty and the male ego. Uncomfortable? Absolutely. Unforgettable? Even more so. See more: 5 cult classic movies that are so bad, they're good 10. 'The Brown Bunny' (2003) The boos were biblical. Vincent Gallo's slow, minimal road film—with an infamous scene with Chloë Sevigny—was the scandal of Cannes. Critics pounced, with Roger Ebert calling it one of the worst films ever screened at the festival. Gallo, never one to shy away from drama, fired back. Years later, a re-edited version emerged, and some began to see it differently: a meditative, melancholy look at guilt and male fragility. Still divisive, but undeniably unforgettable. 11. 'Marie Antoinette' (2006) Sofia Coppola dared to punk-rock Versailles. Set to New Order and Bow Wow Wow, her pastel-soaked portrayal of France's most infamous teen royal (played with vacant charm by Kirsten Dunst) was met with chilly disdain at Cannes. Audiences wanted powdered wigs; Coppola gave them Converse sneakers and ennui. But years later, Marie Antoinette is beloved for exactly that, a cotton-candy rebellion that made historical fiction chic again. This film is well beyond a list of Cannes cult classics. 12. 'Only God Forgives' (2013) Nicolas Winding Refn reunited with Ryan Gosling post- Drive for this Thai neon fever dream, but the reception at Cannes was anything but romantic. The film, featuring Gosling as a near-mute boxer avenging his brother's death, was booed for being ultra-violent, glacially slow and proudly opaque. But style-wise? It's jaw-dropping. As time passed, its hypnotic visuals, synth soundtrack and Kristen Scott Thomas's terrifying mother-from-hell performance have earned it a strange, silent cult following.
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Cannes 2025: Filmmakers launch Dogma 25 to rewrite rules of filmmaking in the internet age
Thirty years after Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg launched the Danish avant-garde filmmaking movement Dogme 95, a group of filmmakers from Sweden and Denmark have vowed to revive the movement at this year's Cannes Film Festival under the name Dogma 25. The participants in the latest iteration of the movement promise five films among themselves each year, and they intend to make these without using the internet in the creative process. 'In a world where film is based on algorithms and artificial visual expressions are gaining traction, it's our mission to stand up for the flawed, distinct and human imprint,' said the five filmmakers in a statement. Founded by Danish-Egyptian director May el-Toukhy, the participants — Milad Alami, Annika Berg, Isabella Eklof, and Jesper Just — are calling the movement 'a rescue mission and a cultural uprising.' They have given themselves one year to create a movie. 'After Covid, all prices have gone up and we get less film for the same amount of money. That's a huge problem for the arthouse film, because the risk-taking is gone. All mainstream stands on the shoulders of arthouse, and if the arthouse dies completely, there will be no originality left in the mainstream,' said director Toukhy. Though the movement has taken inspiration from the 1995 manifesto of Dogma 95, it has only retained one rule from the original, which is that any film that is a part of the movement must be shot where the narrative takes place. Other rules that are binding on the participants include accepting funding only if no content-altering conditions are attached to it and not having more than 10 people behind the camera. It is also essential for a Dogma 25 film to be without dialogue for half of its runtime, as the participants claim that they believe in visual storytelling and that they have faith in the audience. They are also steering away from using make-up or attempts to manipulate faces and bodies of actors cast in the film. The movement is open to accepting more members and it also already received endorsement from Von Trier and Vinterberg.
The Guardian
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Morally questionable': inside the epic Lars von Trier exhibition in Copenhagen
I am not even inside the building but a creeping sense of foreboding has already set in. As I try to find the entrance to Nikolaj Kunsthal, a gothic-style former church in Copenhagen, I hear the lamenting strings of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde – the soundtrack to Lars von Trier's 2011 end-of-the-world film Melancholia. Inside, I take a seat in a tent-like structure, similar to the one in the film, and watch as a planet hurtles towards Earth, Wagner still blasting away. Nearby lies a long table, covered in white linen and laid out for the celebration of a lifetime – but clearly abandoned midway, and now adorned with dead flowers and burnt-out candelabras. Upstairs, black and white projections – a ticking clock, trains moving through postwar Germany, scenes of sex and drowning – play as the ominous male voice that features in Von Trier's 1991 film Europa does a countdown. 'On every breath you take, you go deeper,' he says. 'On the mental count of 10, you will be in Europa.' With the world still reeling from the arrival of Trump 2.0, and Europe at war amid increasing polarisation, looming AI takeover and the escalating climate emergency, the experience feels strangely current, even though it is intended to take viewers back to the visual world of the notorious Danish film-maker, and immerse them in it. 'It is almost a new paradigm,' says Helene Nyborg Bay, artistic director of this arts venue, as she takes me round Breaking Darkness, the Von Trier exhibition she has curated. 'We had this belief in one united country or the United Nations after the second world war. Now we see there are new thoughts coming through, unfortunately. Lars von Trier shows some of these.' But in other very important ways, Von Trier is deeply irrelevant in 2025. As well as attracting criticism for the treatment of women in his films, he has been involved in multiple scandals. In 2011, while promoting Melancholia, he told the world's press at the Cannes film festival that he was a Nazi and 'understood' Adolf Hitler, after which he was banned. He later apologised, saying: 'I am not antisemitic or racially prejudiced in any way, nor am I a Nazi.' Six years later, amid the rise of the #MeToo movement, musician and actor Björk, who starred in his 2000 musical film Dancer in the Dark, said he sexually harassed her during its making, claims he has denied. But despite this, the exhibition has attracted unprecedented interest, with record numbers at the opening – 2,000 in three hours – including younger generations. Why? 'Lars von Trier is such a strong film-maker with such a strong aesthetic sense that he could be a visual artist,' says Bay who, despite the controversies, believes that Von Trier's work and its themes – love and despair, good and evil, faith and human choice – have a lot to offer contemporary audiences. 'We live in new times,' she says. 'On the other hand – he might have been ahead of his.' Personally, this longtime Von Trier fan says she 'was never offended by his way of looking at women', although she concedes that some younger women have been. Rather than avoiding the subject, she says: 'It's interesting to have this dialogue.' Clips from the films have been combined with designs and installations – even incorporating the architecture of the building – to recreate the themes and moods of five films made between 1991 and 2011: Melancholia, Europa, Dancer in the Dark, Breaking the Waves and Dogville. There are a few props dotted around, including a fur coat worn by Nicole Kidman in Dogville, and the wedding dress worn by Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia, which is displayed entwined in roots that climb the walls. But film memorabilia is by no means the focus of the show. The exhibition doesn't just fill the space, it also spills up into the clock tower which, via steep stairs, visitors are led up to by a white line, like the ones that represent the set in Dogville, all to a soundtrack of Vivaldi. Although probably the most site-specific of the installations, this feels the least immersive of the five, because it does not have the same emotional power as, say, the Melancholia installation – which is entirely captivating. But absent of moving image, it serves as an effective contrast to the others. Bay invited young designers to interpret the 'universe of Lars von Trier' in such a way as to create an experience that does not depend on the viewer having seen his films – including the generations for whom she believes he has been 'abandoned'. Her inspiration for the show came from an exhibition of photos of Von Trier's work at the Perrotin gallery in Paris. She is particularly interested in seeing how the under-30s who visit her exhibition 'adapt into his universe'. She says: 'It's more like a feeling or an atmosphere. And it is also a subconscious way of understanding some topics in life – or trying to.' Von Trier, who has Parkinson's disease and is now in a care centre, has not been directly involved, but he has given the exhibition his blessing. He attended the opening night on FaceTime with the help of his ex-wife. And, during this launch, Bay noticed a group of producers from Zentropa, his production company, sitting in the shelter in front of the oncoming planet. Unusually, the exhibition also features a critique of the film-maker and his work, by Sofie Riise Nors, a Danish feminist satirical graphic novelist, who has accused him of romanticising and fetishising femicide, while criticising his artist-muse relationships. In a comic strip piece about Von Trier, created for the exhibition, Riise Nors appears as a radio host doing a phone-in about the director and explaining her problems with him. She questions the notion that he creates 'strong female characters' and accuses him of using women's lives as a 'kind of currency'. She also mentions Björk's #MeToo accusations. 'His characters,' this host says, 'seem more like a mirror for his own fantasies about women than they are a mirror for female identification.' She describes Melancholia – which has an 'iconic' scene showing Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg being pulverised by a planetary collision – as an example of 'Von Trier's penchant for staging women's deaths in an artistic and aesthetic way'. She also cites Björk's Dancer in the Dark character Selma, who bursts into song at her execution. It is also worth reminding ourselves that Nicole Kidman gets chained to a giant metal wheel in Dogville, while Gainsbourg cuts off her own clitoris in Antichrist. Could this two-pronged approach, celebration and criticism, provide a model for dealing with the work of more cancelled artists whose work is still deemed worthy of appreciation? Bay says that, even though Von Trier and Riise Nors have wildly different opinions, they share a capacity for self-reflection. 'In that way, it's also a starting point for talk and for conversation.' Riise Nors isn't so sure. 'The fact that we are still creating celebratory exhibitions about Lars von Trier is testimony to the fact that he was never really cancelled – at least not in Denmark.' She thinks the country holds on to such a 'morally questionable' figure because of his huge international success and would have liked to have seen more critical contributions in the exhibition. 'You can still be a great artist,' she adds, 'and very problematic at the same time.' Breaking Darkness is at Nikolaj Kunsthal, Copenhagen, until 27 July
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
France Hosts Inaugural ‘Vision Nordiques' Festival With a 17-Title Selection
Dag Johan Haugerud's 'Love' was one of the 17 films which had their French premiere at the inaugural edition of the festival Visions Nordiques – French Nordic Film Days. The fest is taking place March 5-9 across several locations in Paris, including the Grand Action theater; as well as the industry programme and co-production workshop taking place at CNC and the Institut Suedois. Tributes were hosted for Lars von Trier and Aki Kaurismäki with the screenings of 'Breaking the Waves' and 'Le Havre.' The film lineup comprised 'Love,' which premiered at Venice (and was followed by the Berlinale Golden Bear winner 'Dreams (Sex Love)); Baltasar Kormákur's 'Touch,' Eirik Svensson's 'Safe House;' Lilja Ingolfsdottir's 'Loveable;' and Frida Kempff's 'The Swedish Topedo,' among others. More from Variety 'Eel' Review: Sensually Saturated Mood Piece Slithers Its Way Under Your Skin 'The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box)' Review: A Childhood Survival Story as Strange and Beguiling as Its Title 'Letters From Wolf Street' Review: A Documentary That Takes an Immigrant Lens to a Changing Polish Neighborhood The event is jointly organized by The Five Nordics, France's National Film Board, with the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Embassies of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in France. Swedish arthouse producer and distributor Mattias Nohrborg, TriArt Film, Baptiste Pépin, head of film, Institut suédois, and Amanda Nohrborg, post-production manager curated the selection. Gaëtan Bruel, the former director of the French Cultural Services in the U.S., who was appointed president of France's CNC last month, said Visions Nordiques was an important event celebrating historic ties with France where Scandinavian movies have been supported through the Cinema du Monde subsidy fund, among other schemes, which have helped financed 17 Nordic movies over the last two years. Joachim Trier's 'Sentimental Value' and Tarik Saleh's 'Eagles Of The Republic' were also partly financed in France and are expected to world premiere in the festival circuit later this year. 'We believe that cinema shapes the imagination, because it brings together not only industries, but also countries, and that the model of financing films supports creativity across Europe,' said Bruel. 'Today, the international context challenges us all, forces us to strengthen Europe as a unified space, as a power in all domains, not only military but also in culture.' Meanwhile, Gísli Snær Erlingsson, the head of the Icelandic Film Centre who represented The Five Nordics (the collaboration between the film institutes of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) said the French Nordic Film Days represented a 'significant step in strengthening the historic bonds between our film industries.' Erlingsson said the panels, case studies, and co-production workshops that are being organized as part of the event 'aim to forge new connections between Nordic and French filmmakers.' 'Together, we'll explore distribution systems, filmmaker support, and our shared commitment to environmental sustainability in film production.' Panels on distribution and international sales brought together industry speakers such as Sarah Chazelle, co-founder of Jour2Fête; Kim Foss, executive director of Camera Film; Martin Jérôme, acquisition coordinator at Condor Distribution; and Mattias Nohrborg at TriArt Film. Another roundtable included Noémie Devide, head of production and acquisition at Goodfellas; Alexandre Moreau, head of international sales at Memento International; and Katrin Pors, producer at Snowglobe. Over the years, many Nordic movies have been sold internationally by French sales agents. Trier's movies have been handled by MK2 Films, while Saleh's next pic is being sold by Playtime, and Memento International has been selling Emilie Blichfeldt's horror tale 'The Ugly Stepsister' which played at Sundance and has sold to most major territories. Best of Variety All the Godzilla Movies Ranked Final Oscar Predictions: International Feature – United Kingdom to Win Its First Statuette With 'The Zone of Interest' 'Game of Thrones' Filming Locations in Northern Ireland to Open as Tourist Attractions
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lars von Trier Admitted to Care Center for Parkinson's Disease Treatment
The post Lars von Trier Admitted to Care Center for Parkinson's Disease Treatment appeared first on Consequence. Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier has been admitted to a care center to receive treatment for Parkinson's disease, his production company Zentropa Entertainment confirms. In a statement posted to the official Zentropa Instagram, producer Louise Vesth wrote (roughly translated from Danish): 'Lars is currently in a care center that can provide him with the treatment and care his condition requires. It's a complement to his own private accommodation. Lars is doing well under the circumstances.' von Trier went public with his diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in August 2022. At the time, Zentropa said he was being treated to complete Riget Exodus (which translates to The Kingdom: Exodus), the third and final installment of his supernatural series. A provocative auteur, von Trier has also (deservedly) received backlash for some of his public statements. In 2011, he was banned from Cannes for seven years after saying he 'sympathized' with Hitler. More recently, von Trier wrote on Instagram in August 2023 that 'Russian lives matter also!' in a message to Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin. Besides that, Björk has accused von Trier of committing sexual assault during the making of his 2000 musical Dancer in the Dark. Though he admitted to psychological abuse, he said, 'I did not touch her in the wrong places.' Lars von Trier Admitted to Care Center for Parkinson's Disease Treatment Eddie Fu Popular Posts Taylor Swift Booed at Super Bowl Kid Rock Storms Off Stage After Audience Doesn't Clap Ben Folds Resigns from Advisory Position at Kennedy Center Plane Owned by Mötley Crüe Singer Vince Neil Involved in Fatal Crash David Lynch's Cause of Death Revealed Elon Musk Finally Pulls the Plug on Kanye West's Hate-Filled Twitter Account Subscribe to Consequence's email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.
