Renowned Danish Director Lars Von Trier accepted his ban from the Cannes Film Festival after his claims that he sympathized with Adolf Hitler.
Von Trier had stunned onlookers on Wednesday in a press conference when he said that he was “not against Jews… Israel is a pain in the (–foul word(s) removed–).”
That remark prompted a quick rebuke from the organizers and on that same day Von Trier made an apology. And in a statement, he said that he was not anti-Semantic or racially prejudiced in any way, nor that he was a Nazi.
Despite his apology, the festival decided to ban him after the premiere of Melancholia, the film and the entry that he directed.
French culture minister Frederic Mitterand supported the decision of the festival and he even told the media in Brussels that “there is a major difference between a film that was chosen in calm atmosphere and a director who clearly blew fuse.”
He even added that Von Trier has no place in the festival, or anywhere else for that matter.
The Board of Directors of Cannes had called for an ‘extraordinary meeting’, which at the end, they had come to the declaration of Von Trier as “persona non grata”.
They had referred the director’s comments to be “unacceptable, intolerable and contrary to the ideals of humanity and generosity that preside over the very existence of the festival.”
Von Trier, 55, had been a recipient of the prestigious festivals Palme d’ Or award.
The festival organizers added that they are really disturbed with the comments of Von Trier which drove them to ask explanation from him.
During the Cannes 2009, Von Trier had its last entry entitled Antichrist depicting a dark drama featuring graphic scenes of sex and violence.