CANNES, France (AP) — Lars von Trier brought the end of the world to the Cannes Film Festival – then the Danish director really shook things up, saying he sympathizes with Adolf Hitler, thinks Israel is a pain and plans to make a porn flick with Kirsten Dunst.
Von Trier’s remarks stirred up reporters, and left Dunst and co-stars such as Charlotte Gainsbourg sitting uneasily alongside their director at a press conference Wednesday after his apocalyptic drama “Melancholia” had its first screening.
In an interview afterward, von Trier said he had been joking and did not think people took his comments seriously.
But he had reporters buzzing as he commented about his German heritage. Von Trier launched into a rambling train of thoughts, starting with how he used to think he was a Jew and his disappointment when he learned he was not.
“I really wanted to be a Jew, and then I found out that I was really a Nazi, because, you know, my family was German,” von Trier said. “Which also gave me some pleasure. …
Full story: Von Trier stirs up Cannes with Hitler, Nazi quips