Lars von Trier On Nazi Comments, Ban: 'I'm A Little Proud Of Being Named Persona Non Grata'

For the record, Lars von Trier says he's not an anti-semite, does not agree with the Holocaust, and is not Mel Gibson. But the provocative filmmaker, banned from the Cannes Film Festival for his bizarre Hitler-sympathizing press conference rant, isn't exactly crying over the situation, either.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, von Trier reiterated that he wasn't pro-Hitler, unless Hitler made a good film. When asked whether his future films will be banned from the festival, von Trier argued for art over politics.

"I hope not because even if I was Hitler­, and I must now state for the record I am not Hitler, but even if I was Hitler, and I made a great film, Cannes should select it," he said. "And I have to say I'm a little proud of being named a persona non grata. I think my family would be proud. I have a French order. Now they will likely tear It off my chest."

In fact, von Trier said the ban might be a good thing for him -- it could free him creatively, he argued.

Before this Cannes I was really worried the festival wouldn't accept my film," von Trier explained. "Because it might not be what people expect of me. And if the Cannes Festival is having any influence on how I make my films, maybe it's good if I'm banned. I like obstacles. If the obstacle is I'm not going to Cannes, maybe that's a positive thing."

On that point, only time -- and negotiations with international distributors -- will tell.

For much more from von Trier, click over to The Hollywood Reporter.

Here's a transcript of his controversial comments; check out the video below.

"The only thing I can tell you is that I thought I was a Jew for a long time and was very happy being a Jew, then later on came [Danish and Jewish director] Susanne Bier, and suddenly I wasn't so happy about being a Jew. That was a joke. Sorry. But it turned out that I was not a Jew. If I'd been a Jew, then I would be a second-wave Jew, a kind of a new-wave Jew, but anyway, I really wanted to be a Jew and then I found out that I was really a Nazi, because my family is German. And that also gave me some pleasure. So, I, what can I say? I understand Hitler. I think he did some wrong things but I can see him sitting in his bunker. I'm saying that I think I understand the man. He is not what we could call a good guy, but yeah, I understand much about him and I sympathize with him ... But come on! I'm not for the Second World War. And I'm not against Jews. No, not even Susanne Bier. I am very much for them. As much as Israelis are a pain in the ass. How do I get out of this sentence? Okay, I am a Nazi. As for the art, I'm for Speer. Albert Speer I liked. He was also one of God's best children. He has a talent that ... Okay, enough.

WATCH:

Comments

[Venice Davis]

06:57 AM on 05/24/2011

That crazed look he got in that photo creeps me out. And to think he was the toast of the Oscar awards more than 30 years ago for that Oscar winning song of his http://bit.ly/m912Sa

[The Canadian]

03:25 PM on 05/23/2011

Lars von Trier is just a hack director who is on record about how he despises his audiences, and has always been more concerned about creating controversy than in creating films that are actually entertaining. But, hey, that's ok, because he says he only makes his films for himself, and if his audiences don't like them, then they can ---- themselves.

[an]

08:11 PM on 05/25/2011

the guy is literally one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the world...

[The Canadian]

01:10 AM on 05/26/2011

Just because the critics seem to love him doesn't change the fact he sneers at his audiences, and it shows in his films. Maybe that attitude is considered audacious, but to me films are meant to be seen by audiences, so why despise them and say you only make them for yourself?

But I'm not arguing with you, to each their own, as they say. For me, my low opinion of von Trier has only gotten worse with each film of his I've seen (most now, since I watch tons of films). Maybe Melancholia will change my opinion - hell, even Nicholas Cage is watchable every 20th film he makes, so maybe the same thing will happen for me with von Trier. I'll try to keep an open mind.

[dre31]

02:31 PM on 05/23/2011

First of all he is ugly, fat and out of shape. Enough said

[mikroskopic]

08:50 AM on 05/23/2011

So he basically said he grew up as a Jew, then he was informed he wasn't actually a Jew but his dad was a German connected with the Nazis? Sounds like a f-ed up identity crises. What an awkward guy. It's hard to make a joke out of that situation; maybe it would fly with his friends but once people hear Nazi, any "joke" turns into a hate speech.

[an]

02:33 AM on 05/23/2011

this article is very sensationalistic. it mentions nothing at all of lvt's apology. the man has apologized to literally every paper on earth.

point a) the man was raised jewish, he had a jewish father. he didn't find out until adulthood that he didn't have jewish heritage when his mom confessed to him on her deathbed that she cheated on his father with a german man of whom lvt was the outcome. his family was not religious but he did wear a kippah on holidays, etc.

point b) his wife is jewish, and therefore his children are jewish.

point c) he was JOKING. his statement was in response to a reporter who said he had nazi aesthetic and questioned his use of wagner. this response was meant as sarcasm.

[Ossit]

06:08 AM on 05/23/2011

Obviously he wants to forget the upbringing of the man who raised him as a father being Jewish so who knows what religion he chooses to practice or not now. Second, there's no such thing as Judiasm as a "heritage". Judiasm it's NOT an ethnicty, culture, a 'race' or a "heritage". Judiasm is a religion. Nothing more, nothing less. His heritage is Dutch because a heritage is a way of life and a culture. If you're going to spell it as the Mid 20th century modern Hebrew it's written as kippāh and unless you're doing a lot of prayer on holidays that's when you wear it or you're Orthodox male and you wear it all the time. Whether he likes it or not, the man he called dad, was Jewish and he practiced it a little so his kids are Jewish on both sides no matter what any state or country says or whether he chooses to acknowledge it or not. You can convert to Judiasm and your kids will still be considered that whether you were born into the religion or not. Stop being ignorant calling being a Jew a "heritage".

[an]

03:18 PM on 05/25/2011

a) no he doesn't want to forget, he repeatedly mentions his father. it's his biological father he badmouths. even on stage at cannes his first words were: "for a long time i thought i was jewish, and i wanted to be jewish."

b) judaism is a heritage. your mother must be jewish for you to be truly jewish. it's the law. judaism is an ethnoreligion. by that standard lvt never even really thought he was truly jewish but he was raised within the culture of judaism and did have it as his heritage. i doubt you're jewish, or you wouldn't argue that.

[an]

03:30 PM on 05/25/2011

also should add that jews from all sects wear the kippah's. and many do so every day. particularly reform and conservative jews. not just orthodox.

[montanbud]

07:03 AM on 05/23/2011

Read the whole interview and I sure don't see it that way at all....anyway this guy was not very smart to say what he said...we can all read....but at least he has destroyed his chances of having movies distributed in America....sarcasim or not this is a topic that is pretty much off limits....do not ever blame other people for "misunderstanding" your comments......

[an]

03:22 PM on 05/25/2011

i was talking specifically about the cannes press conference. that is how it went down precisely.

his movies are always distributed in american, and his latest that he was premiering at cannes is being released stateside too. it opens this fall. he's one of the most famous filmmakers in the world.

it's easy to misunderstand your comments when they are broken up into sound bites, given out of context, and when most people see them, they have no idea about your background.

[DMSmith]

01:36 AM on 05/23/2011

Hmm. I thought what he said was kind of interesting - if a bit eccentric in how it was said.
I expect a great director to be both interesting and eccentric.
Banned?!? ROFLMAO

[Luke just Luke]

10:59 PM on 05/22/2011

That's a real kick to the teeth for Susanne Bier

[omobob]

09:33 PM on 05/22/2011

Unfortunately admiring Albert Speer is not a big help when dissmissing accusations charges of being a Nazi sympathizer:

Speer was taken to several internment centers for Nazi officials and interrogated. In September 1945, he was told that he would be tried for war crimes, Albert Speer was indicted on all four possible counts: first, participating in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of crime against peace, second, planning, initiating and waging wars of aggression and other crimes against peace, third, war crimes, and lastly, crimes against humanity. During his testimony, Speer accepted responsibility for the Nazi regime's actions:

In political life, there is a responsibility for a man's own sector. For that he is of course fully responsible. But beyond that there is a collective responsibility when he has been one of the leaders. Who else is to be held responsible for the course of events, if not the closest associates around the Chief of State?

[an]

02:25 AM on 05/23/2011

there is no doubt that speer was a nazi, and therefore as a person reprehensible, but that doesn't mean he wasn't a great architect (or leni riefenstahl a gifted filmmaker). this i understand is hard to swallow, but the gift of artistic talent has absolutely nothing to do with how good a human being you are. the list of great artists is full of pedaphiles, murderers, etc. and many of the great works of art were used for immoral purposes or as propaganda for violent immoral empires (see ancient rome). the pyramids of central america are amazing and beautiful peaces of architecture even though they were created for human sacrifice.

[montanbud]

07:06 AM on 05/23/2011

6 million dead....only Stalin and Mao are in that conversation....so no we are not discussing a single act or two by an "artist"...mass murder...Speer can never be considered "ANYTHING" but a murderous NAZI...anything else he did in life are completly irrelevent.....

[omobob]

11:54 AM on 05/23/2011

Albert Speer was a nazi architect and as such his designs mirrored the grandiose and totalitarian views of his master. Monumental design meant to humble the masses and leave them with a feeling of being a small cog in the nazi wheel. Speer’s greatest contributiojn was to consolidate the nazi war macjhine with the use of slave labor. His was not the road of the atrist. No one remembers Speer as an architect but as Hitler's War Minister. BTW: leni riefenstal is best known for the propaganda films like "Triumph of the Will" hardly great art. I know its hard to swallow but they were hacks and dupes of Herr Hitler. Who was another bad artist.

[marred]

09:32 PM on 05/22/2011

Well a fuckwit like you would be proud.

[omobob]

11:58 AM on 05/23/2011

pls. clean it up or refrain from posting abusive and foul language. flagged

[marred]

08:18 PM on 05/23/2011

Why don't you go and flag yourself?

[americaisracist]

08:42 PM on 05/22/2011

Lars doesn't need Cannes, Cannes needs Lars. Lars is a REAL film maker as opposed to the Gary Marshalls and Michael Bays of the world.

[totalliberal]

09:33 PM on 05/22/2011

Right up there with Leni Riefenstahl huh? Figures

[Frustrated in PA]

06:15 PM on 05/22/2011

I find it utterly ironic, or maybe sad, that Cannes bans this guy for inartful wording and just a really du mb joke but embraces child r@pists like P0l@nski.

F them Lars........good for you on the ban! There is some shady company with those folks.

[LMPE]

05:47 PM on 05/22/2011

Why do we have to misinterpret comments and blow them out of proportion? Lars von Trier was basically saying that we need to understand Hitler to prevent Nazism.

[totalliberal]

09:35 PM on 05/22/2011

No he wasn't 'basically' saying that. He was saying what he said.

[ifyouseekay]

05:47 PM on 05/22/2011

he should have had sex with a 13 yr. then he'd be made the new president of france!

[efrallyn]

05:44 PM on 05/22/2011

i like how embarassed kristen dunst looks..

[cincinnati]

11:16 PM on 05/22/2011

poor thing, it was unreal...

[luv ya]

05:20 PM on 05/22/2011

Maybe, his real meaning gets lost in his speaking English.
He pontificates as though he were rattling.