Our thoughts and prayers are going out to Lars von Trier, who revolutionized cinema in the ‘90s and aughts. He’s been struggling with Parkinson’s and living part-time at a nursing home.
Judging by this Deadline interview with Stellan Skarsgård, a longtime collaborator of von Trier’s, things aren’t going well.
“The last time I talked to him, he was doing a version of La Jetée, the silent film [by Chris Marker, 1962]. It was the same concept [using still images], because he thought he could do it at home. But since then he’s been much worse. I haven’t spoken to him directly, I’ve spoken through mediators, and I send him text messages now and then. Sometimes I get an answer, but it’s very brief.”
Last year, Lars von Trier’s next film, “After,” received funding from the Danish Film Institute, as revealed by AFP. The Telegraph later reported that the film would start production this summer. However, based on Skarsgård‘s comments, it seems that production was taking place mostly at von Trier’s home.
Producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen had previously revealed that von Trier’s bout with Parkinson’s and his mortality would be taking center stage in the film, as “After” would tackle “death and life after death.”
In the fall of 2022, Von Trier announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 66, a revelation that stunned the film world. Over the past three decades, he has earned a place among the most visionary and influential filmmakers of his generation.
I truly hope Von Trier, who hasn’t directed a feature since 2018’s “The House That Jack Built,” gets to complete what looks to be his final film. He lives and breathes cinema. That’s all he’s been doing for the better part of 40 years.
Von Trier’s impact on filmmaking is undeniable. His distinctive voice and daring approach have left a lasting mark, visible in the echoes of contemporary filmmaking, with work such as “Breaking the Waves,” “Melancholia,” “Dancer in the Dark,” and “Dogville” standing as enduring testaments.